RMIT Research Fellow and Economist Dr Nataliya Ilyushina joined me to discuss AI’s impact on the world in business, education, government and personal life in a great discussion not only about the cutting edge in AI, that also saw great interaction with listeners in the TNT live chat!
Dr Nataliya Ilyushina is a Research Fellow (Advanced) at the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub and in addition to degrees in economics and accounting, Nataliya is a small business owner, public speaker and media commentator.
We discussed all the latest news in AI, from Elon Musk’s Gigafactories, to Sam Altman’s desires to rule the world, from myths about AI taking jobs, through to the ways people with digitally literate AI skills are setting themselves and their businesses up for the future, shadow AI usage and so much more!
Our video interview can be seen in full below now, after which is an AI created summary of our discussion, created by the Plaud.AI voice recorder’s summarisation tool – please watch and read on!
The show airs live every from 6 – 7pm AEST every Saturday via TNT.news, Rumble.com and other streaming platforms, and you can see all past episodes in full at the Talking Tech with Alex show page here.
Here’s the ChatGPT-4o powered summary of the interview you can watch above!
The benefits, risks, and regulatory challenges of AI for individuals, businesses, and governments.
- Benefits of AI for individuals and small businesses
Nataliya emphasised that AI is particularly beneficial for freelancers, individuals, and small businesses due to its decentralised and inexpensive nature. - Levels of AI development
Alex discussed the different levels of AI development, from chatbots to AI that can perform the work of an entire organisation, and compared it to the promises of self-driving cars. - Current capabilities of AI
Nataliya mentioned that AI is currently good at automating routine tasks but is far from making decisions or creating something entirely new. - Elon Musk’s AI gigafactories
Alex and Nataliya discussed Elon Musk’s plans to build AI gigafactories to support his various businesses and his vision for the future. - Open source AI and control
Alex and Nataliya talked about the importance of open source AI for transparency and control, and the exaggerated fears of AI taking over. - EU’s AI regulation
Alex and Nataliya discussed the EU’s comprehensive AI regulation, which assigns different levels of risk to AI applications to avoid stifling innovation. - Australia’s digital transformation
Alex and Nataliya criticized Australia’s slow progress in digital transformation and AI regulation, highlighting the focus on digital ID and the lack of comprehensive legislation. - AI’s impact on jobs
Alex and Nataliya discussed how AI is more likely to complement workers by automating tasks rather than replacing entire jobs. - Risks of AI
Nataliya pointed out that the real risks of AI are related to data privacy and cybersecurity, rather than AI taking over or making autonomous decisions. - Government’s role in AI regulation
Nataliya emphasized the need for government regulation to address AI risks without stifling innovation and the importance of involving businesses in the regulatory process. - Digital literacy and AI
Nataliya highlighted the need for better digital literacy to educate people about the risks of using AI tools and the importance of understanding terms and conditions. - Comparison to dot-com crash
Nataliya argued that the current AI boom is different from the dot-com crash because AI adds significant value and is decentralised, making it less likely to crash suddenly.
Digital Literacy and Safe AI Adoption
- Digital Literacy
There is a need for explanation and education in terms of digital literacy to help people understand the consequences of using AI and automation safely. - Custom AI Solutions
Businesses can use custom-made AI solutions that encrypt data before sending it to OpenAI, or run AI on local open-source or commercial systems to ensure data safety. - Shadow IT and AI Usage
Many businesses are unaware that their employees are using AI tools like ChatGPT, which poses risks to customer data. Digital literacy and corporate training are essential. - Tech Femme Fusion
Tech Femme Fusion aims to teach businesses how to safely, productively, and affordably incorporate AI into their operations through digital literacy and identifying automation opportunities. - AI in Business Processes
AI can automate routine business processes, such as sending emails, to save time and ensure continuity in communication, even when staff changes. - Local AI Solutions
There are many local businesses in Australia developing AI applications, and these can be used to address specific business needs. - AI and Social Media Automation
AI tools can automate social media posts, making them consistent across platforms and saving time for users. - AI Adoption and Training
Identifying routine processes that can be automated with AI and providing training around AI tools is key to successful AI adoption in businesses. - AI and Privacy
The lack of legislation around AI and privacy is a concern. New laws or adaptations of existing laws are needed to address AI’s capabilities and ensure privacy. - Big Tech and AI
Leaders like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg are aware of the power they hold with AI. The ambitions of these leaders are more concerning than AI itself. - Government Awareness
The Australian government is not fully aware of the power of AI and the influence of tech leaders, which is a concern for privacy and regulation.
📝 Conclusion
AI offers significant benefits for individuals and small businesses by automating routine tasks and enhancing productivity. However, it also presents risks related to data privacy and cybersecurity. Effective government regulation and improved digital literacy are essential to harness AI’s potential while mitigating its risks.
I will feature this in a separate article as well, but here’s my Radio 2CC “Tech Talk with Alex Zaharov-Reutt show on Radio 2CC every Saturday from 10.30am to 11am.
Nataliya joined me and the overall Canberra Weekender host on the Tech Talk segment on Saturday July 6, where we covered even ore AI topics, so feel free to listen to this great discussion, too!
