Post 10

 In the Age of AI by Frontline showed us many pros and cons about the development of machinery and artificial intelligence, as well as the level of implementation that we are seeing it used on. It is clear that AI has begun to and will continue to have large impacts on our daily lives, but not all of those impacts are positive. While it is undoubtedly an exciting new field of technology, there are clearly large risks that stem from it as well. AI has already infiltrated industries as factory work jobs slowly begin to turn automated, leaving some wondering whether the increase in efficiency is worth the loss of livelihood for those affected. Although the concern is real for those losing their jobs to robotics, it would seem that the industry is continuing to make more and more steps toward further automation.

            While AI can serve to improve efficiency and expand our knowledge base, the level of data it requires from human sources is exponential. The fact that AI collects such large amounts of data is helpful for enabling convenient and personalized service and the development of new technology, but the reach that it can extend to is concerning to some. The more data we give AI access to, the more likely it is that that data is misused, whether that misuse is done by the actual artificial intelligence itself, the parent company, an overinvolved government, or some other third party. The ability for AI to manipulate people through ever increasingly realistic interpretations of people and information could make it a difficult weapon to defeat if turned against the public. This documentary ultimately reminded us on the incredible potential influence that AI can have in our future if it continues to be incorporated into our societies the way it is now.

Post 8

 Social media has grown in use exponentially in the last decade or so. The evolution of social media platforms like Instagram, facebook, twitter, snapchat and so many more can be examined with the diffusion theory. The ability for these sites to expand across the globe so rapidly with the internet makes it possible for social media to infiltrate any culture anywhere in the world. Early adopters of social media both made it popular and continued to revolutionize it through the creation of new and improved forms, apps and websites. While it wasn’t possible upon social media’s conception, it is now possible for people to make their entire living on social media sites, even to the point of becoming incredibly wealthy through them. 

While the majority of young and tech savvy individuals seem to have adopted social media relatively early, some late adopters have concerns about some of its features. Concerns about violations of privacy and the potential harms of endorsing mainstream indirect communication keep some from fully investing in social media. These concerns can be validated by the impacts social media has on some people’s mental health, often being cited as one of the main reasons for the presence of anxiety and depression with heavier users. Social media can also become addictive for some, giving more credit to delayed or non-adaptors. Social media has successfully been diffused with the majority of our society, as well as most first world societies around the world. This is largely due to the long list of benefits that it brings, such as long range communication, networking and entertainment. 

Post 7

While we receive plenty of news brought to us by mainstream media, there seems to be a large portion of hidden news being tucked away from the average person's reach. The websites Antiwar.com and The American Conservative give readers the opportunity to hear the viewpoints that are not commonly shared in the mainstream media. Many of these voices carry anti war or pro diplomacy messages that discourage conflicts overseas, which would naturally conflict with pro war parties or corporations that profit off of war efforts. Coincidentally or not, many of the news sources that have become mainstream have connections or are owned by large corporations, which then have ties to defense contractors and other similar interests. These ties to ownership, and therefor control over the direction of the coverage, can serve as a conflict of interest for these mainstream news networks because they would naturally be less inclined to report on military intervention that put them in a bad light. These developments may conflict with the economic interests of the owning  companies.                                                                              

These factors create an environment where the mainstream media often portrays military action taken by us or our allies as a necessary part of national security. These messages can be tied to arbitrary associations with patriotism or loyalty to try to frame antiwar advocates as disloyal to their country. Some of these effects culminate by the restriction of the mainstream media’s coverage on certain topics, and evidently their restriction of certain voices. While antiwar media is not nearly as evident in the mainstream media as support for conflict, it is not impossible to find with the right direction