Ever since the 1980s, language learning models (LLMs) have been successfully upgraded. But only in late fall 2022, we saw something unprecedented when Open AI’s Chairman Sam Altman announced the birth of ChatGPT.
In the last year and a half, a larger part of the globe has been influenced by AI-driven solutions, permeating through various walks of life.
Amidst the latest political campaigns, several US states have witnessed interesting events revolving around AI.
Kansas is one of these states with intriguing developments in AI-enhanced policymaking and legislation.
This article will help you understand how the affairs in the Sunflower State are unfolding in the middle of the AI surge.
Political Events and AI Regulations
The Kansas House of Representatives has recently tried to prohibit misleading AI-generated content used for political purposes. The proposal wouldn’t ban the use of AI tools in political campaigns, but it prescribed that such ads, banners, and commercials would have to be labeled as ‘AI-generated’.
Representative Vic Miller, the House Democratic Minority Leader, suggested it should be a bipartisan law and earned support from Republican Pat Proctor.
However, the bill didn’t get enough votes in the lower legislature of Kansas, meaning that – for the time being – such (mis)representations remain legal.
Since the US Presidential Election is going to be held this November, such a law would make campaigning in Kansas more legit and less vulnerable. Now we’ll wait and see how things will turn out for all the politicians from Topeka to Kansas City, the presidential candidates included.
AI in Kansas Entertainment
Kansas is one of the most propulsive US regions for entertainment. One of the home states of country music, it hosts the Sunflower Music Festival in Topeka, the State Fair, and many other manifestations of federal significance.
For such events, you don’t need AI, except for asking ChatGPT to give you recommendations for Kansas entertainment venues and events.
But not all Kansans are fond of open-air concerts and mass fairs. If you’re more into gaming or iGaming, you’ll encounter AI tools more frequently. From getting personalized offers based on your initial plays and wagers to winning special bonuses, AI data tools carry out numerous operations in the background.
However, mind the gambling regulations in Kansas. As a casino expert Karina Allan explains, players from Kansas can’t use online casinos in Kansas because they’re still not legal. Nevertheless, they can pursue their iGaming passion in offshore digital casinos, but take care to play only on secure and safe platforms.
Education and AI in Kansas
Admitting AI to academic circles is already old news. What we hear about most is how professors have been struggling to keep their exams legit in spite of students using various AIdes (sic!) for their essays and other test forms.
However, there are already certain benefits of AI tools in schools and at universities, from speech-to-text transformations and vice versa, to help students with disabilities.
Kansas State University has taken an open-minded approach to these revolutionary changes. It has already organized several lectures and discussions regarding the use of AI in higher education. The largest event so far is planned for October 15-17, 2024, when this university will host The AI and the Future Symposium – a three-day event with workshops, talks, and panels. The participants will learn about the ways AI can be used for scientific and academic purposes.
Of course, there will be panels and discussions on some ethical issues with the unregulated utilization of AI in education and beyond.
Several departments of the K-State University have joined forces in organizing this symposium, with special assistance from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and Manhattan Public Library. If you’re in Kansas this October, drop by this event and hear some wise people discussing the influence AI will have on the Kansans and all other US citizens.
Medical Expertise through AI
The Kansas health authorities are in the same place as the federal administration: they’re understaffed and under budgeted, and yet, they have patients who need proper healthcare services.
That’s why more and more public and private clinics are adopting AI-powered chatbots for initial online communication with patients. While it might come as a surprise because many people haven’t gotten used to such communication, this is a reality. In the future, we can only expect growth in such services. For instance, Kansas City hospitals have already included AI solutions in their daily operations.
As reported by Suzanne King for the Kansas City Beacon, a year ago a certain number of providers started using Abridge – a software tool that monitors and records patient visits and turns such recordings into notes. A pilot program at first now encompasses hundreds of doctors. It saves their time by performing the manual work so that they can visit more patients by unit of time and have their notes ready in a jiffy.
Moreover, doctors can have their notes turned into charts for better visualization and enhanced decision-making.
That way, physicians don’t spend their precious time with patients stuck to their keyboards, but actually communicate with patients more effectively.
Institutions and doctors are exploring some other ways of including AI in their daily work to make patients’ lives easier.
Using AI for scheduling is another practical implementation of such services.
However, both physicians and patients are concerned about applying advanced AI tools to medical practice. A recent study conducted by Pew Research has shown that only 38% out of the 11,004 interviewees would feel comfortable if AI was used to diagnose disease and suggest treatments. Some 60% wouldn’t feel good if they knew their diagnosis had been brought by AI.
At this moment in the State of Kansas, it will take some serious consideration, public debating, and legal regulation before the Kansans witness the mass use of AI in their hospitals and health centers.
The Final Word
Kansas isn’t only the central US state – if we observe the contiguous 48 states – it has become one of the main federal units. With many services and companies embracing AI, various legal measures and public debates need to be held in the near future to ensure this usage is both legal and humane.
From politics and entertainment to education and medicine, artificial intelligence can help Kansas step into the functional world of tomorrow.
