Remember the days when we associated AI with Smarterchild (that random chatbot we all talked to on AIM) or Keanu Reaves' number-one enemy (you know, the matrix)?

AI is not just a concept in a blockbuster hit or an internet chatroom; it's a reality that is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. It's everywhere, from suggesting content to us on IG (thanks, Meta) to taking our orders at a McDonald's drive-thru. Even Apple is getting in on the action, with plans to integrate ChatGPT, a chatbot that uses artificial intelligence, into Siri for its upcoming iOS 18 update.

It seems impossible to find someone who doesn't have a strong opinion on AI. Half of the population embraces it, while the other half wants nothing to do with it.

Artificial Intelligence Market Growth

We've come a long way since Smarterchild, though, and this has not gone unnoticed by our economy. The artificial intelligence market is projected to reach $184 billion this year and won't slow down anytime soon. It's projected to grow 28.46% annually; by 2030, it could be a $826 billion industry.

The US continues to lead in AI development, but the European Union is ahead in regulating it. In March, they published the EU AI Act, becoming the first to establish a standard set of laws for AI.

AI Legislation in the US

That's not to say that the booming AI industry hasn't been brought to the attention of our government, though. In just a year and a half, lawmakers have gone from creating task forces dedicated to learning how to regulate it to proposing hundreds of AI-related bills—yes, literally hundreds!

New York is leading the charge, with a whopping 98 pieces of legislation in motion, while California is in second with 55. 

There are currently 762 proposed bills about AI that are being discussed in 45 states. It'd take far too long to dissect all 762 documents, so here are the Sparknotes of a few that have been making headlines:

Colorado AI Bill

Colorado's Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence

This requires A.I. companies to use “reasonable care” while evaluating people for things like school or job applications, loans, or access to insurance. It prevents discrimination and ensures that the companies continue to double-check their programs for problems. The bill was just passed, so now it's a law that will go into effect on February 1st, 2026!

Connecticut AI Bill

Connecticut House Bill 1147

Possibly the most relevant bill since it's an election year…this focuses on regulating the use of “deepfakes” in political communications, AKA “fake news.” It prevents the spread of manipulated or completely fake digital content that is deliberately misleading or deceptive, especially during election campaigns. This bill has encountered a lot of opposition, and is currently at a bit of a standstill.

California AI Bill

California Assembly Bill 459 (AB 459)

This aims to protect actors and artists from exploitative practices and to ensure that they have control over their digital selves via employment agreements, whether it be their own voices, physical likeness, or creative work. This is no surprise, since generative AI was a huge factor during last summer's screenwriter strike. As of this month, the bill has passed through the Assembly, but is still under consideration by the Senate. 

AI NO FAKES Act Bill

Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe

Similar to California's AB 459, this bill seeks to establish a nationwide right to protect individuals' images, voices, and visual likenesses from unauthorized AI-generated replicas. This act is still under consideration by the Senate and doesn't look like it will be passed anytime soon. It takes much longer for bills to be passed at the federal level, but the NO FAKES Act has many critics arguing that its vagueness almost hinders free speech.

The NO FAKES Act has gained even more relevance in light of the recent controversy involving Scarlett Johansson and Open AI. When Open AI unveiled their latest version of Chat GPT, GPT-4o, the AI personal assistant's voice drew striking similarities to the actress. It turns out that Sam Altman (CEO of Open AI) had been asking Scarlett Johansson for months to voice the chatbot, but she turned it down. After much controversy, the voice was eventually scrapped, with Open AI claiming it was from another actress. However, the incident has sparked a debate, with many speculating that it was an unauthorized AI-generated replica.

AI Lawsuits

It's not just celebrities who are having their voices stolen, though. That's right – we can get screwed over, too! 🫶🏼 Imagine listening to a podcast and suddenly recognizing what sounds like your own voice in a commercial specifically preaching about “the dangers of AI technologies.” That's precisely what happened to a voice actor in New York this past year.

 Now, two voice actors are suing the artificial intelligence startup Lovo, accusing the company of tricking them into providing voice samples that they went on to use for projects without their awareness or permission. NOT COOL!

In another case, an influencer received an influx of messages from her followers, all informing her she'd been “cloned.” Scammers used a popular video of her and manipulated it to create YouTube commercials to promote erectile dysfunction supplements…she learned of this while on her honeymoon!

The influencer's management company was able to take down the ad, but not before it had spread. But what about those of us who don't have a team designated to handle these kinds of situations? Tracking these deepfakes down and removing them could be far more difficult, not to mention expensive.

But let's talk about something mildly concerning going on over at Google.

Google AI Overview

In mid-May, Google introduced a new feature, AI Overview, in an attempt to keep pace with Microsoft and Open AI's industry advancements. After each query, the tool provides an AI-generated response at the top of the search engine. However, the results haven't been exactly as they anticipated, highlighting the potential pitfalls of unregulated AI.

How to Disable AI Overview Google

And no, unfortunately, you cannot disable Google AI Overview. You’ll have to scroll past its misleading answers.

Since AI Overview features an automatically generated summary of its search results, it's picking up random satirical answers as truth.

This Google AI Overview mishap is a prime example that shows that artificial intelligence works better when there is a human element interwoven in it. There still needs to be a fact checker on top of the fact checker; AI is meant to be a tool to help us humans, not something to replace us. At the end of the day, it's still all checks and balances, baby!

How Can Artificial Intelligence Benefit Humans?

What AI is getting right is not what it's accomplishing on its own but rather the ways it is helping us get started to make things easier for ourselves. For example:

📝 Task Management

Chat GPT truly can be like having a personal assistant, both inside and outside of work. For example, you can use the following prompts: “Create a to-do list for today and prioritize the tasks based on importance: [insert your unstructured task list]"  or “I have a project due in a week. What steps should I take each day to ensure I meet the deadline? [Insert project name and details]”. 

✈️ Travel Planning

You can use Chat GPT as a travel guide by typing something like, "Plan a 7-day itinerary for a family vacation in [insert destination] focusing on cultural experiences.”

🥑 Nutrition

You can use Chat GPT as your own personal nutritionist, whether it be to lose weight, gain weight, or go vegan. You just have to clearly state your dietary preferences (“I prefer vegetarian meals with a focus on protein") and can tweak their recommendations from there. My favorite part is that you can also let it know what groceries you currently have on hand, so it's a perfect way to stay on your budget, too!

🧵 Hobbies

Thinking of taking up a new hobby but have no idea where to start? Ask Chat GPT to “create a step-by-step guide on how to [insert hobby].” You can continue to ask hyper-specific questions whenever you're confused, and it'll point you in the right direction of reliable resources.

🎓 Education

Having trouble understanding a certain concept? Here's a popular prompt people are using: “You are an expert teacher. Explain the concept of [insert topic] in 500 words or less in a way that a 12-year-old can understand.”

📺 Entertainment

Chat GPT can also help you find similar songs, TV shows, books, etc. based on your favorites that you'll be sure to enjoy. Here's an easy prompt to use: “List 10 other TV shows I should watch similar to ‘The Office’ that are streaming on Hulu right now.”

You can even weave in some entertainment when you're using the chatbot and make learning a new thing, Moira- I mean, more fun. 😉

Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Intelligence?

As you can see, no. AI cannot replace human intelligence at this stage because we continue to see that a human element is vital for better performance. After all, AI is created by directly learning from us, and unfortunately, that includes our own biases, which is precisely what we're trying to prevent from continuing! While the AI industry has been reaching major milestones, there is still a lot to learn if it will ever replace our abilities.

Wrapping Up

So if you're a part of the population that is getting worried about AI taking our jobs, don't fret! Remember that we are just in the middle of our government learning how to regulate it to ensure everyday people (and not just the Scarletts of the world) are safe.