The Handshake Ep. 2 – Unlocking the AI Revolution: Ethics, Innovation and the Future of Human Connection with Joe Houghton

Meet Joe Houghton, Consultant, Writer, Speaker, Lecturer at the Smurfitt School of Business UCD, AI enthusiast and self-professed “people gardener” as he offers listeners an exciting and alternative view of Artificial Intelligence and how it is revolutionising our world, taking us to unimaginable heights on every level of life and living. His latest publication: “150 Apps to Study Smart with AI” will grab the attention of any student awake to the potential AI holds in navigating studies within individual capacity and without boundaries! With Teresa’s gentle promptings, Joe skilfully guides us through the AI revolution, defraying fears of the “black box” which has unquantifiable potential, yet acknowledging the need for ethical usage, trust building and wise governance as evidenced in recent “guard rails” offered by EU harmonisation with existing GDPR legislation. Erosion of Privacy is a casualty of AI advancement, but must be managed by other means.

Can the human handshake be replaced ? Not likely! Mimicked in terms of AI’s unstoppable integration into our lives, yes, but the human-to-human interaction, grounded in Emotional Intelligence, will remain a key differentiator!
AI is here to stay and Alexa is but one example of a new ‘friend’ offering a hand in assisting busy households in optimising time management and tracking the intricacies of daily life.

Issues of uneven intergenerational adaptation of AI will resolve, but the need for guidance of our young in appropriate and objective manipulation of AI cannot be over-stated. AI as an aid to innovation while igniting human agency in envisioning beyond boundaries is a game changer. Grasping the challenges posed to the world by the UNDP’s 17 SDGs is but one area in which AI can aid data gathering, interpretation and application at a speed and range unmatched by human.

As for the digital divide, the privilege of the advantaged over those less fortunate, this may become more pronounced as AI sophistication gathers speed into an unimaginable future.

To get in touch with Joe, simply mail Joe.houghton@gmail.com and follow his exciting newsletter, your guide to up-to-date information in AI’s exciting evolution.