The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important with the increasing digitalization of all areas of life. AI has the potential to fundamentally change our society and offers both enormous opportunities and significant challenges. In order to ensure the responsible and sustainable use of this technology, it is essential to deal intensively with its effects.
What is artificial intelligence and what role does ChatGPT play?
In everyday language, ChatGPT is often used as a synonym for artificial intelligence. But what exactly is behind it and when do we speak of AI?
"Artificial intelligence has been with us in various forms for 10 to 20 years. Initially it was a rather esoteric topic at universities, but has found its way into our everyday lives with applications in image and speech recognition and digital assistants such as Siri. With the breakthrough of companies such as OpenAI and the development of ChatGPT, AI is now closely linked to so-called Large Language Models (LLMs). These models can handle natural language, show a certain degree of creativity and have a wide range of applications compared to the more specialized solutions of the past."
Insight into Large Language Models (LLMs)
What exactly is a Large Language Model and how do these models work?
"LLMs like ChatGPT are trained on enormous amounts of data - real big data - that can only be processed by large corporations with powerful data centers. This training produces so-called foundation models that are very versatile. Through fine-tuning and prompt engineering, specialized models for specific tasks can be developed from them. With ChatGPT, for example, the main task is to respond to chat messages sensibly and probably correctly. However, the possible uses of LLMs are diverse and range from text completion to the creation of instructions."
Diverse applications of AI
There are numerous other AI applications besides ChatGPT. What are they and how are they already being used today?
"The common use cases such as writing emails or doing homework were just the beginning. LLMs can also be used in business processes, such as classifying emails, programming code or analyzing data. In addition, plug-ins enable advanced functions such as writing and understanding code or creating data visualizations. The range of possible applications is enormous and we have probably not yet realized the full potential."
Impact of AI on jobs and society
Are we facing a societal transformation through AI, and how will this affect the labor market?
"The question of replacing jobs with AI is often asked. Many experts
The need to actively shape AI
Why is it important that we actively engage with AI and use it for our benefit?
"AI lowers the barriers to entry in many areas and offers opportunities, for example to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. In software development, tools such as GitHub Copilot can make developers more productive and partially compensate for the lack of skilled workers. It would be wrong to leave these technologies exclusively to large corporations through excessive regulation. Instead, we should invest proactively and conduct basic research to strengthen our technological position."
AI in the context of cybersecurity
AI not only offers opportunities, but also poses new risks in the area of cybersecurity. What impact does this have and what threats does it create?
"Attackers are often early adopters of new technologies, giving them a head start over defenders. We are already seeing AI-based attack tools on the dark web and in hacker forums. Attackers are building their own models or using jailbreaks to abuse existing AI systems like ChatGPT for illegal purposes. This enables personalized and convincing phishing attacks that are harder to detect than traditional methods."
The danger of deepfakes and manipulative content
In addition to text-based attacks, AI-generated media content also poses a growing threat. How realistic is this danger and what does it mean for us?
"Deepfakes can already be created today with considerable effort and are becoming increasingly convincing. While videos can currently be created more easily with public figures, in the audio area just 30 seconds of voice material is enough to create realistic voice imitations. This makes it extremely difficult to verify the authenticity of calls or messages and opens the door to fraudulent activities."
Strategies to defend against AI-based attacks
How can we protect ourselves against these new forms of threats and what measures are necessary?
"Strong authentication mechanisms such as two-factor authentication and robust passwords are fundamental protective measures. In addition, defense systems themselves must use AI to effectively counter AI-based attacks. Security companies are already working on appropriate solutions. Last but not least, a critical attitude towards information and increased awareness of possible threats is essential."
Looking to the future: What do we need to do now?
If we look back in a year, what steps should we take today to be optimally prepared for developments in AI?
"We should now invest in the European AI location and strengthen basic research. Companies should develop AI strategies and evaluate how AI affects their products, services and internal processes. It is particularly important to deal intensively with the new security risks and implement appropriate defense mechanisms. In summary, we must meet the new technologies on an equal footing, use them for our benefit and at the same time manage the risks appropriately."
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence offers immense opportunities to transform our society and optimize numerous areas. At the same time, it brings with it new challenges and risks, especially in the area of cybersecurity. It is up to us to shape these technologies responsibly and proactively by investing in research and development, taking appropriate security measures and maintaining a critical and informed attitude. This is the only way we can ensure that AI is used for the benefit of all and can reach its full potential.
