Getting Started in AI

Expert, Writer / Author

45 min

NL, EN

Creativity,
Innovation,
Robotics / Ai,
Ethics

Inspire,
Personal effectiveness,
Inform

What does AI mean for the future of work? What opportunities are there in the field of AI? And what are the risks of AI? In this keynote you will discover what AI is - but also: what it is not. Discover how to effectively and ethically engage with AI.

I discovered in 2021 that Artificial Intelligence was able to create better and more popular texts than I could. What does that mean for the future of our work? What are the opportunities in AI? And what are the risks of AI? In this keynote, you will discover what AI is - but also: what it is not. You will also learn how to use AI smartly and where the (social) risks lie in the field of AI. This will help you get started with AI effectively and ethically.

Is AI taking over our work?


Can artificial intelligence (AI) create better texts than writers? In 2021, I decided to take on the experiment. I had the poems from my poetry collection This algorithm doesn't suck edited by GPT-3 and was amazed at the results. Not only did the AI poetry score more likes, it was in some ways better than my own work. This experiment was widely discussed, including in media such as HP/De Tijd, Onze Taal, Emerce and Neerlandistiek.

I thought the arrival of AI would make me redundant as a writer. We also often see that story in newspaper reports and flashy presentations by trend watchers. Artificial intelligence is coming and will take over the world. Just think of movies like The Matrix and Terminator. It won't be long before robots take over our work and humans become obsolete. But will it?

This is how AI is changing our work
It seems to be a little more nuanced. Technology is changing our work. AI is taking over simple, repetitive tasks. Thus, we need to do less repetitive work. To illustrate an example: anyone trying to reach a company's customer service department often first communicates with a chatbot that answers the simplest questions. The customer service representative now answers only the most difficult questions. That job changed by AI from customer service representative to difficult-question-answerer.

A modern writer collaborates with AI; he changes from creator to curator. Artificial Intelligence does not steal our jobs, but the person who can work with AI probably does, because he works a lot faster and more effectively. That's why it's important to learn how to work with AI.

Risks of AI
While trend watchers fantasize about a future reminiscent of the Terminator, AI is already changing the lives of millions of people every day. This comes with various risks. We saw during the surcharge affair what happens when algorithms are trained on questionable data; innocent citizens are classified as guilty based on ethnicity. Bias in the data, autonomy of users/citizens and explainability are themes that are relevant here.

Another - currently somewhat underexposed - theme within the use of AI is the energy consumption of AI. AI is not always accurate in this regard, so could at best be seen as an intern. In doing so, you should ask the question: is it a goal or a tool? First we all "had to do something with social media," then everyone had a podcast (the king included) and now AI is all the rage. But is AI really going to help you move forward - or are there other tools imaginable?

Content of the lecture
Customization is possible. Together we determine the content of the lecture. It can consist of the following parts:
> What is AI, how does AI work and what is AI not?
> AI and its impact on our work as creators (about the AI experiment in which Mirck would have been made 'superfluous' by AI)
> How do I work smart with AI? How do I take advantage of the opportunities of AI?
> What are the risks of working with AI?
> A quiz, asking visitors if they can recognize which images were created by generative AI and which content was created by humans. The winner will win one of Mirck's books. An interactive and lighthearted ending to a substantive lecture.

This is what others are saying about the keynote on AI
"Thanks to his accessible story, told with humor and flair, new technology becomes understandable to many. An inspiring and very topical story, which really captures the imagination," said Ingrid Grimbergen, Communications Manager at the Maastricht Convention Bureau.

Margo Blikman, JBR: "I was very impressed with Aaron Mirck's lecture. He spoke with passion and knowledge about the subject and involved the audience in his story. He unraveled myths about AI and also gave concrete examples of how to use AI in our work. I recommend everyone to listen or read his lecture. He is an inspiring speaker and an expert on AI."

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