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The Pandora's box has now been opened, and we all need to become aware and prepare ourselves to learn from a new reality that is increasing productivity in our work, states Merjan Shushollari, a user of ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, during his work as a data engineer at "Lufthansa Industry Solutions" company, Balkanweb reports.
ChatGPT, being an advanced search engine, has significantly boosted productivity in his software development activities, according to engineer Merjan Shushollari.
"One impact I've encountered in my work and that of my colleagues is the increase in productivity. The research I needed to conduct using search engines has been noticeably expedited with ChatGPT.
An optimistic outcome is the enhanced productivity of developers. As far as I've used ChatGPT, it has almost always grasped the context of my questions. It remembers and builds upon previous questions to extract context for the upcoming questions.
Regarding the risks in usage, it's essential to always be cautious not to disclose sensitive data when asking questions, as they are stored on servers not managed by the user.
This poses a risk to a company's data. As a burgeoning industry, it has brought about the need for new roles. One emerging role that is experiencing growing demand is the Prompt Engineer/AI Whisperer."
Despite limitations when dealing with sensitive data and occasional inaccuracies or shortcomings in results, ChatGPT has demonstrated itself as a crucial tool in his work.
In addition to ChatGPT, Merjan mentions that he has also started using other forms of Artificial Intelligence, such as GitHub Copilot. Meanwhile, a new reality in Artificial Intelligence in some industries is self-driving machines that utilize computer vision to distinguish objects. "This is a prime example of how AI is now making decisions autonomously," emphasizes Shushollari.
For this reason, he underscores that the time has come for Albanian society to become aware and prepare to invest in Artificial Intelligence, as it is gradually expected to impact the job market through employee substitution.
On the other hand, a pessimistic scenario is the automation of industries. Many positions in the banking and legal sectors in the USA have begun to be automated. "If a country is not prepared for this level of automation, it will lead to significant social issues," concludes the IT engineer.
In Albania, the forefront enterprises in utilizing intelligent machines, even updating with new versions, are companies in the information technology service sector.
Aleksandër Risilia, the administrator of the information technology company "Ritech Solutions," foresees drastic changes in the job market due to the use of intelligent machines, especially when their usage has increased productivity by 50%.
"Given that in specific fields, the use of AI has yielded productivity improvements of over 50%, there will certainly be somewhat drastic and rapid changes in the job market.
In the past, technological advancements had a slightly longer timeline, allowing for a more gradual adoption. Now we find ourselves in a situation where changes and progress have an almost exponential pace in certain areas, which creates a challenge in terms of the swift retraining of people for the job market."
According to Mr. Risilia, "Ritech Solutions" has introduced innovations in the use of Artificial Intelligence, products that have already been integrated into the company's daily operations. He mentioned that the use of Generative AI is achieving nearly daily adoption in the current work of all software developers in the company.
"Currently, 'Ritech Solutions' owns a product oriented towards computer vision and Artificial Intelligence, with the purpose of solving logistical problems for one of the largest shipping companies in the world. In addition to this product, we are developing a new product in the area of Technical Debt, which is one of the biggest issues in the software field. The product extensively employs new technologies in Generative AI, including GPT-4 (the mechanism under ChatGPT).
In the programming field, the impact of Generative AI will be substantial. Our staff has been continuously adopting these technologies in their daily work."
According to Mr. Risilia, the impact of using ChatGPT in the information technology sector is quite broad, as Generative AI is also affecting the work carried out by IT programmers.
The director of "Ritech Solutions" does not rule out the possibility of pessimistic scenarios in which this technology could veer in the wrong direction.
However, he emphasizes that the collective awareness among individuals at the forefront of these developments is significant, and it's a strong push towards ensuring that this technology remains within ethical boundaries and doesn't become a risk to humanity.
But is AI perfect and can it comprehend complex situations that require accurate decisions? Aleksandër Risilia, the administrator of "Ritech Solutions," underscores that Artificial Intelligence is inherently imperfect, and like any technology that can offer numerous benefits, it also comes with its problems and risks.
"The issues are more related to analytical inaccuracies in specific cases, which requires careful management, especially when AI usage is in high-risk fields within the transactional sector (e.g., banking)," he emphasizes.
We posed the same question to ChatGPT itself, and it responded: "AI is not perfect and cannot comprehend complex situations to provide accurate decisions in every case. AI can be very useful in certain instances, such as data analysis, information classification, and some process automation.
However, AI cannot fully replace humans in complex situations, as humans possess the ability to understand context and make decisions based on their experience and knowledge."
Ultimately, AI cannot possess the ability to understand human emotions and feelings and make decisions based on this knowledge.
Marketing, towards job cuts due to positions covered by Artificial Intelligence
After the IT sector, the forefront of intelligent machine usage is also within the marketing sector. Marketing companies assert that the use of ChatGPT has enhanced services in digital marketing and reduced costs.
Even though the role of human power is deemed irreplaceable, they warn that this technological revolution will be accompanied by job cuts for positions that will be entirely covered by Artificial Intelligence.
While for specific roles in marketing, collaboration between workers and Artificial Intelligence is inevitable.
Yiannis Dimos, Creative Director at Spot Communication in the marketing and PR agency "Le Spot Group," stated to "Monitor" that alongside other similar AI technologies, ChatGPT is becoming a highly useful tool for various marketing and communication fields due to increased productivity.
"At 'Spot Communications,' we strive to embrace the latest innovations that enhance our services, and ChatGPT is not excluded. From automating digital content creation to deriving insights through data analysis, it streamlines our agency's processes, improving our response times and enabling our teams to focus on developing the best marketing strategies for our clients and enhancing our creative product and account management," he says.
Mr. Dimos expresses that Artificial Intelligence technologies are evolving rapidly, and the marketing sector is at the forefront of adopting them for daily activities.
According to him, this will inevitably change the way marketing is conducted, accompanied by positive effects starting with increased productivity and reduced costs. However, there are also unavoidable negative costs, such as job cuts.
"The increase in efficiency, ease of creating personalized content, in-depth data analysis, and reduced costs will be achieved and will work in favor of our industry.
But at the same time, the automation of specific aspects of our work may result in potential job cuts or a decrease in demand for certain roles within advertising, media, and communication companies.
However, I strongly believe that due to the nature of our work, the human role will always remain crucial. Creativity, intuition, human behavior, and human relationships cannot be fully replicated by an AI technology.
Thus, ChatGPT and similar tools can collaborate with marketing professionals, becoming a valuable solution for achieving higher quality and exceptional communication results," highlights Mr. Dimos.
Gledis Bozo, CEO of "Dope Studios Tirana," part of the "Le Spot Group," states that ChatGPT has already become an essential tool in digital marketing. While emphasizing the importance of acknowledging that ChatGPT cannot replace human expertise, it provides valuable resources for any business operating online.
"At 'Dope Studios,' we have used ChatGPT for various projects. Firstly, it has eased and expedited the writing process for marketing campaigns.
Whether it's about creating engaging blog posts, crafting newsletters, or social media captions, ChatGPT's language processing abilities have allowed us to communicate effectively with our audience.
Secondly, ChatGPT has played a crucial role in customer engagement strategies.
For instance, by integrating it into chatbots on various websites we've developed for different brands, we can offer even faster and accurate responses to visitor questions, enhancing their experience.
Furthermore, integrating ChatGPT into data analysis tools has provided us with valuable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. These insights have empowered us to shape digital marketing campaign strategies.
While the use of Artificial Intelligence, including ChatGPT, is expected to have a significant impact on the marketing industry, its application presents both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios."
On the positive side, Artificial Intelligence can enhance personalization, simplify operations, and improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
It automates routine tasks, allowing agencies to focus on strategic initiatives and make data-driven decisions.
However, there are concerns about the potential impact on the job market, as Artificial Intelligence could lead to job displacement but also the creation of new professions.
It's important to acknowledge that Artificial Intelligence cannot replace human creativity, critical thinking, and emotional understanding. Instead of viewing Artificial Intelligence as a threat, I would consider it a tool that enables businesses to enhance productivity.
Mr. Bozo stated that despite limitations, careful usage will significantly amplify its potential for marketing and social media users.
"Embracing developments in Artificial Intelligence, including ChatGPT, can offer a competitive advantage and enable further business growth in marketing and beyond."
Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence is also transforming the multimedia field, enabling the generation of images and music without worrying about copyright issues. All of this progress adds new possibilities and creative freedom for content creators.
In general, I believe that AI, including ChatGPT and other forms of Artificial Intelligence, will serve as intelligent assistance in advancing human capabilities and promoting innovation in various industries.
I don't know who remembers how the world was frightened when CERN made the World Wide Web protocol accessible to anyone in 1993. Now children learn to scroll and tap before they learn to speak.
OpenAI has made a tiny piece of Artificial Intelligence accessible to everyone. We will adapt and live happily," emphasizes Mr. Bozo.
Recently, a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based in Paris takes into account the current data on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the job market.
Currently, the use of AI is still relatively limited. Therefore, up to this point, there haven't been significant job losses due to its implementation.
The reason for the decrease in the number of employed individuals is the emigration of young people and the lack of those who speak Italian. Companies in the sector state that the issue of labor shortage, which began after 2017, has become their main concern this year.
Another sector where ChatGPT is not being used is in the sale of real estate properties. Jonian Antoni, CEO of the real estate company "Century 21," emphasized that for this sector, human interpretation is more essential.
The use of Artificial Intelligence has increased productivity among manufacturers
The manufacturing sectors or the healthcare sector in the country have not yet incorporated ChatGPT into their work, but investments in Artificial Intelligence have been extended in other developmental forms, with the aim of increasing productivity.
Edvin Prençe, Chairman of ProEksport Albania, says that Artificial Intelligence is being seen and used in management, finding solutions to various problems in people's lives, but the full inclusion of AI in the manufacturing industries is still in its infancy.
"Indeed, there are Industry 4.0 machines (intelligent machines that improve productivity) that are operated and monitored remotely, but that's how far we've come. In the clothing and footwear production industry, the use of chips that monitor at what stage the production is and whether it's completed has started.
The cost of buying an intelligent chip that goes into clothing is 0.03 euro cents." Regarding ChatGPT, Mr. Prençe mentioned that it cannot be used in the production lines of this sector due to the nature of the work.
"With a significant shortage of 20,000 jobs, Artificial Intelligence and automation have brought about an increase in productivity, slightly alleviating the pronounced labor shortage. Nevertheless, the use of Artificial Intelligence does not risk replacing human capital in the outsourcing sector," he stated.
Arben Shkodra, General Secretary of the Union of Albanian Producers, also mentioned that the use of Artificial Intelligence by certain sectors, such as digital marketing or company management systems, has increased productivity.
"Artificial Intelligence in company management systems, which use AI algorithms, is proving to provide rational solutions. For instance, in the replacement of recruitment processes.
The decision to select employees is made by humans, but AI simplifies the process of selecting files that need to be reviewed for employment. In the digital marketing sector, it assists through social media listening or product positioning in the market. It also offers the possibility of standardizing and increasing productivity in production operations.
Despite the fact that the use of Artificial Intelligence tends to enhance business efficiency, Arben Shkodra emphasizes the necessity of creating a strategy by the government on which sectors should start using Artificial Intelligence, which sectors' workers are expected to be replaced, and what will happen to the employment of replaced workers.
"Before embracing the use of Artificial Intelligence, there needs to be a strategy for its use and regulatory legislation for Artificial Intelligence activity.
Both of these are necessary to determine the priority sectors where AI will be used and what measures will be taken for the workforce that will be replaced by AI.
Furthermore, the conditions for the use of Artificial Intelligence also need to be improved.
If a factory aims to robotize its entire process, the quality of the energy network for the functioning of the automated system in Albania is not sufficient, especially in mountainous areas, where power outages or voltage drops would cause irreparable damage to these businesses," emphasizes the representative of the Union of Producers.
How Artificial Intelligence is being used in healthcare
Artificial Intelligence is bringing significant innovations to healthcare as well. Bianka Agaraj, a doctor at the Albanian branch of the German laboratory Dr. Limbach Heidelberg, says that Artificial Intelligence is being used to enhance accuracy in diagnostic methods and presents very interesting perspectives for aiding in the treatment of diseases, especially genetic ones.
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used in healthcare for some time. In Western Europe and the United States, it has been incorporated in fields such as image diagnostics (radiology), dermatology, cytology, and even genetics and robot-assisted surgery.
Taking cytology as an example: Artificial Intelligence is programmed to identify changes in nucleus-cytoplasm ratios, which can escape the human eye in microscopy. In addition to identifying them, AI can provide a suspected diagnosis as well as the stage.
We have a very positive experience with AI in our daily work; it helps us offer more security and quality in generating results and minimizes the risk of human errors, which are almost inevitable without AI."
"Treatment is another key point; now with robot-assisted surgery, problems that may not have been possible to correct with traditional sutures can be corrected. Of course, they require the experience of a specialized doctor to control them.
The good news is that one day, perhaps we will be able to correct genetic diseases that until now we have learned to live with.
We can mention here the CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Scissors, which received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2020. They are programmed to 'fix' the mutant part in the α-globin gene locus in human hematopoietic cells, thus treating β-Thalassemia, which many individuals suffer from in our country."
The use of Artificial Intelligence has also increased productivity in medicine, particularly in research and investigations, according to Dr. Agaraj.
"Indeed, through the use of AI, quality is enhanced, and the workload of healthcare personnel is reduced. Just compare internal computer systems for patient data documentation and storage with manual records and files.
In addition to this, the integration of medical specialists with Artificial Intelligence can only increase the safety of analysis, testing, and ultimately diagnosis and treatment. Artificial Intelligence and automation in medicine increase the sensitivity or ability of a method to detect a specific disorder.
Regardless of the various forms of Artificial Intelligence used in medicine, from robots drawing blood from patients to surgical assistance, the role of the doctor remains irreplaceable by technology.
"There are always two sides of the same coin. In international medical fairs, we have seen robots working independently to draw blood from patients, and of course, the question arises whether they will one day replace us, but medicine is much more than manual labor.
Being a doctor involves more than just the procedures we perform or consultations with patients. It's about smiles, warm words, and an ear that listens to all the complaints a patient faces. I believe that as long as doctors remain human, they will never be replaced by Artificial Intelligence.
However, it can be a very important component that further enhances the quality of our service." As for ChatGPT, Dr. Agaraj states that it is not used since it doesn't assist her in her medical work, except for cases where it eases literature search.
The ChatGPT Generation of Students
For some educators, the use of ChatGPT by students has become widespread, mainly for thesis papers and coursework. Others claim its use remains at low levels.
Regardless of the extent of ChatGPT's usage, educators are concerned that in addition to increasing cases of plagiarism, even though some private universities have increased measures to control student submissions, the use of AI is damaging creativity among the younger generation."
"One of the negative consequences that the use of Artificial Intelligence can bring, especially in the education system, is the reduction of students' and learners' interest in developing analytical and critical skills in relation to information.
We know that writing is a way to learn how to think. Based on this fact, the concern lies in the fact that students who don't write may be harmed in the development of critical thinking.
In a way, these applications can make students more superficial and less critical. Similarly, the lack of knowledge about Artificial Intelligence can negatively impact the creativity of young people," says Erlis Hoxha, the Head of the Department of Communication Sciences at Bedër University.
Nora Malaj, former Deputy Minister of Education, says that the cases of students using ChatGPT are not numerous. Ms. Malaj does not view the use of intelligent machines in education positively, as it would not only create a passive attitude towards creation but also dependency, which would lead to a loss of communication among the younger generation.
"Indeed, the use of ChatGPT is not positive in a time when we are dealing with the 'copy-paste' phenomenon, but it will also lead to passivity in creation.
One of the biggest problems will be the impact on imagination. If you have an intelligent mechanism, its use would become addictive, it wouldn't stimulate creation, motivation, and would lead to surrendering before any difficulties."
Bloggers
ChatGPT, or as it is known as generative Artificial Intelligence in Albania, is mostly used by individuals for finding vacation spots, while its use is also expected to extend to creating statuses or choosing places to visit for social media Instagram bloggers.
Blogger Estela Ujka stated that she doesn't use the intelligent machine in her work, but she hasn't ruled out the possibility of trying it out."