AI: Who Benefits?
Alright, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room for the past couple of years since: AI. While Artificial Intelligence immediately seems and is a great thing see I couldn’t help but just shake one though that always
came up when I though about it. Who really is benefiting from AI and all related tools? See, at surface level it seems like AI is a win-win for everyone. It helps people do tasks faster, makes things more convenient, and even creates
new opportunities. But when you dig a little deeper, things get a little more complicated.
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On one side, consumers benefit from AI in a lot of ways. AI-powered assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant make it easier to get information, set reminders, and even control smart home devices. Streaming services use AI to recommend movies and music, saving us time from searching. Online shopping platforms suggest products based on our interests, helping us discover things we might like. AI chatbots provide quick customer service, reducing the need to wait on hold for a real person. These are all great advantages, right?
But let’s take a look at the other side: the businesses and sellers who use AI. AI gives companies powerful tools to understand consumer behavior, predict trends, and personalize ads. This means businesses can target customers more effectively, increasing their sales. Social media platforms, for example, use AI to analyze what we like and show us more of it—keeping us scrolling longer and exposing us to more ads. Online stores track our shopping habits and use AI to suggest products, which often leads to us spending more money than we planned.
Then there’s the job market. While AI makes certain tasks easier for consumers, it also replaces human workers in many industries. Automated customer service, self-checkout machines, and AI-driven writing tools are reducing the need for human employees. This benefits companies by cutting costs, but it can leave people struggling to find work.
So, who really benefits more from AI—the consumer or the seller? The answer isn’t so simple. Consumers do get convenience and efficiency, but companies gain valuable data, increased sales, and reduced expenses. In many ways, businesses seem to have the upper hand because they use AI not just to help customers, but also to maximize their profits.
That doesn’t mean AI is bad. It just means we should be aware of how it works and how it affects us. AI isn’t just a tool that helps us—it’s also a tool that businesses use to influence us. The more we understand this, the better choices we can make about how we use AI in our daily lives.