10 Ways To Protect Yourself Against The Growth Of AI

Whether you like it or not, AI (artificial intelligence) is an important asset for many people and businesses. Just like the internet itself, it’s predicted that the sorts of systems laid out by the early large language models (LLMs) will become a fundamental part of life itself in the future. 

It has a lot of positives, but it isn’t without its issues. It’s essential to keep up to date with how to stay protected in an increasingly changing digital world, whether that comes in the form of looking out for your career, your privacy, or something else. Let's look at 10 ways you can shield yourself against the potential problems associated with the rapid growth of this technology, so that you can continue to enjoy the benefits of it.

1. Protecting Your Privacy with Strong Passwords

When it comes to any interaction you have online, personal privacy is of utmost importance. Given the vast amounts of personal data that something like Geminior ChatGPT can keep on any given user, it’s essential to use strong passwords for all of your accounts.

The best way to do this is to have your browser or phone generate a complicated password for you (which is usually prompted at the time), which is then only accessible via facial recognition or thumbprint.

2. The Benefit of AI Detection Tools

AI detection tools offer several key benefits. For one, they allow you to check what percentage of your content is seen as AI-generated: even if you haven’t used AI in your content at all, there are a multitude of reasons it still might flag up as such, which is an issue if you’re contracted for a job and the editor runs your work through a checker.

On the flip side, if you’re an editor or educator, it’s always a good idea to check if work is authentic by using a detector.

3. Develop a Keen Eye for AI

AI content is becoming increasingly difficult to accurately detect, which is a real problem. It means that you can’t truly trust key sources of information, such as photos, videos, and news posts, as authentically created by human beings.

For this reason, you’ll need to develop a keen eye for detecting AI as you go about your daily business. Think carefully and critically about any important information you come across, and always fact-check stories, articles, and videos.

4. On AI Bias

Nearly all AI platforms purport to be unbiased, but is this really the case? Unfortunately, AI language models are only as good as the data they’re trained on.

They scoop up huge volumes of data as part of the learning process, which means that a given model might showcase discrimination across a wide range of protected characteristics. It’s key to be aware of this when you’re prompting questions about social issues, as well as the fact that there’s the risk of it biasing towards your own proclivities.

5. AI Scams

Scams have been rife since the very inception of the internet, but unfortunately, they’ve become even more so following the introduction of AI into the mainstream.

A lot of scams have come about following hyper-realistic human voice synthesis, for example: AI can effectively mimic the human voice to the point that it’s almost indistinguishable (just try ChatGPT’s voice response feature), meaning that you need to be extra vigilant with cold callers.

6. Diversify Your Skillset

One of the biggest issues with AI is the risk it poses to the job market. It’s unclear quite how far-reaching the implications will be, but at this point, it’s a good idea for everyone to be thinking about how the new technology might affect them – no matter what sector they’re in.

From voice actors to architects, it’s key to understand the distinction between using a tool that’s helping you do your job and a tool that’s pricing you out of the market.

7. Be Mindful of Voice-Activated Devices

Another area you should be concerned about is voice-activated technology. Given the recent advancements discussed above, plenty of apps and devices now use voice control for greater usability – but there’s a cost.

It’s often the case that your voice data is being logged and stored on these devices, so whenever you use something like this, make sure you’re crystal clear on exactly how your information is used and why.

8. Limiting Social Media Consumption

When it comes to AI-generated content, the bulk of what’s out there is found on social media. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have been flooded with artificial posts masquerading as human-made content, so the best way to avoid being sucked in is by limiting your time with these apps.

The widespread use of social media has made it a target for this sort of content, which is used by nefarious actors to spread negative agendas. Try to have less than an hour per day of scrolling.

9. Setting Boundaries with AI Apps

Similarly to your relationship with social media, you should do your best to set boundaries on your time with apps like ChatGPT and Gemini. Given how useful they can be, it can be all too easy to rely on them for absolutely everything.

Prioritizing critical thinking skills and real, tangible relationships are critical – don’t let those fundamental elements slip you by.

10. Be an Advocate

And finally, if you care about the dangers of AI, be an advocate for protecting society going forward.

There are some truly fantastic qualities to this kind of technology, and in the right hands, it can do a lot of good; for that to happen, though, people need to speak up about the inherent issues and campaign for stricter regulation. This is as much of an ethical situation as it is a practical one.

Hopefully, the above points will help you navigate the increasingly complex landscape AI is developing into. You don’t have to be fearful of it, but a foundation of safety and transparency should be at the core of your relationship with any digital tool.