Living In a State of Artificial Intelligence
A new study released by the AI-driven website builder YACSS revealed that Utah is the most likely of any other U.S. state to use artificial intelligence. Pacific Northwest states Oregon and Washington are second and third in terms of those states most interested.
The study also revealed that AI is being most commonly used for art across all fifty states, with voice generator being its second most popular deployment.
In curating the study, YACSS examined Google Keywords data of search terms frequently used by people interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) over the past 12 months. This data was combined to assess each state’s average monthly search volume for AI-related terms per 100,000 people along with each state's most common uses.
Utah, the state most likely to use AI, averaged 202.9 searches per 100,000 people for AI and AI-related tools. These tools are being mostly used for art followed by voice generation (i.e. human voices for games/films). The third most popular use for AI in the state is for music, animation, and resume writing.
Oregon came in second with 192.2 searches per 100,000 people for AI and AI-related tools. Oregon uses AI the most for art, then voice generator, thirdly music, then animation, with resume writing rounding out the primary list of uses.
Washington is the third state most likely to use AI for art the most, followed by voice generator, music, animation and resume writing. Washington has an average of 187 searches per 100,000 people for AI and AI-related tools per month.
The fourth most AI-interested state is Vermont. Vermont deploys AI the most for art, voice generator, music, text-to-video and animation. Searches for AI and AI-related terms average 173.08 per 100,000 people per month.
Rounding out the top is Colorado, the fifth state most interested in AI, with an average of 170.03 searches. The state uses AI the most for art, followed by voice generation, music, animation and resume writing.
The study found that Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama were the states least engaged in AI in that order.
A spokesperson for YACSS had this to say when asked to comment on the findings:
"The use of Artificial Intelligence in the US is on the rise, and it's clear to see why.”
In his book "2062: The World That AI Made," Toby Walsh who is a professor of artificial intelligence (AI) at the University of New South Wales and a leading AI researcher explores the potential impact of AI on our society and economy over the next few decades.
Walsh asserts that AI will transform every aspect of our lives, from labor and education to politics and entertainment. He predicts that AI will create both incredible opportunities and significant challenges, including widespread job displacement, increased income inequality, and the rise of autonomous weapons.
Despite these risks, he believes that we can shape the future of AI in a way that benefits humanity. He calls for greater investment in AI research, increased regulation of AI applications, and a renewed focus on human values and ethics.
Overall, I found "2062: The World That AI Made" to be a thought-provoking and accessible introduction to the rapidly emerging field of AI and its potential impact on our world. I was particularly struck by Walsh’s belief that AI’s evolution will eventually lead to the erasure of Homo sapiens in favor of its predecessor Homo digitalis, reflecting humanity in its digital form.
He believes that what we do and where we do it will become increasingly, and in some cases exclusively, digital. Human thought, she says, will eventually be replaced by digital thought with human activity in the real world supplanted by digital activity in artificial and virtual worlds as a part of our artificially intelligent future.
These emerging trends obviously will have huge implications for cities and the built environment, particularly as it relates to economic development and the jobs economy.
Offering this sobering thought in his book, Walsh notes:
“Homo digitalis will start out as the digital version of ourselves. As computers become smarter, we will outsource more and more of our thinking to them. These digital entities will no longer be held back by our complex, messy and somewhat limited brains. We will escape the limitations of bodies that need to rest and sleep, and that eventually decay and die. We will no longer be limited to observing and acting in one place at a time. We will be everywhere simultaneously.”