Is AI a Tool or a Threat? A BBC Radio Interview with Rafie Faruq

As businesses increasingly mandate AI adoption, what's the balance between leveraging these powerful tools and protecting our essential humanity?

What Exactly Is AI?

Before exploring fears and applications, Rafie offers a refreshingly simple definition: "AI is simply any model that learns from past data."

He elaborates: "Simply put, AI is a mathematical equation from past data. That is it. So it will make new decisions based on past experience of the world."

This demystification is crucial. Despite complex terminology like "generative AI" and "machine learning," at its core, AI is a pattern-recognition system that imitates rather than creates. As Rafie emphasizes: "It's an imitator. So it will imitate the body of human knowledge."

Want to explore AI concepts further? Check out Genie AI's research and model training approach.

The Fear of AI

Eddie moves onto the widespread anxiety around AI: "Do you understand why some people, particularly of a certain age, are terrified of the prospect?"

Rafie responds: "Absolutely. It's a big change. The entire fabric of society, jobs, our roles in the world is changing, and change is scary."

While science fiction has conditioned many to fear apocalyptic AI scenarios, Rafie believes these concerns are largely misplaced: "People's deepest darkest fears are AI taking over the world. I think that's less likely... that type of apocalyptic vision is probably unlikely just because humans still control AI."

To hear more discussions about AI's impact, listen to Genie AI's podcast on using AI.

The Limitations and Risks of AI

Eddie pinpoints critical limitations: "It can't do nuance, it can't do subtlety. It doesn't understand human beings."

He raises a provocative example of AI's coldness: during a pandemic, an AI might recommend letting elderly people with health conditions die simply because the calculation seems efficient—devoid of human compassion and ethical considerations.

Rafie acknowledges this fundamental limitation: "It doesn't have feelings. It doesn't have a soul." but also disagrees "I don't agree that is what would happen though".

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AI, Personal Data and Profit

Privacy concerns add another layer of risk. As Eddie points out: "It's keeping that data, isn't it?" This reveals an uncomfortable truth: our interactions with AI systems create digital footprints that can be stored, analyzed, and potentially misused.

Rafie contextualizes this issue: "That problem of personal data is sort of no different with AI than generally with tech because that was there before." However, he acknowledges the deeper economic incentives driving data collection: "We're all building the world, the economy, according to what makes money... What really needs to happen is a change at the government level towards societal welfare, health, happiness."

The real concern, according to Rafie, isn't superintelligent machines overthrowing humanity but something more subtle: "The trouble, and where we do need to be concerned, is what happens to our careers, our purpose as humans, our jobs."

Concerned about your data? Learn more about how Genie AI handles your information, what you can do to protect your work from AI training and the UK government's proposed changes to copyright law.

Using AI as an Assistant, Not a Replacement

So how should we approach AI? Rafie advocates for a practical middle ground:

"We should use AI to make ourselves more efficient, to do the work that we maybe don't want to do."

This philosophy guided the creation of Genie AI, which helps businesses generate legal contracts without drowning in paperwork.

"People were never meant to perhaps read through massive, 50-page documents, 100 page documents, and read small amounts of text to spot risks and errors,"

"The key is strategic delegation—using AI for tedious tasks while maintaining human oversight." As Rafie recommends: "Generally, use AI for the things you don't want to do, automate the work you don't want to do, but stay human where you want to. Check it afterwards."

Discover specific use cases for AI in your business and see real-world case studies of AI implementation.

About Genie AI and Rafie's Background

Rafie's journey into AI began in academia: "I did my MSc in machine learning and AI eight years ago at UCL, was lucky enough to be taught by Google DeepMind. I actually wrote my thesis in generative AI eight years ago."

This expertise led him to found Genie AI with a democratizing mission: "to make law more accessible to everyone." The company helps businesses of all sizes generate legally binding contracts based on their specific needs, removing barriers to legal protection that traditionally disadvantaged smaller entities.

"When you're creating your business, you have to employ people, sell things," Rafie explains. "If you're a plumber, you need to provide your services, and all these things require contracts." Genie AI streamlines this process, making legal documentation accessible to those without expensive legal teams.

Learn more about Genie AI's founders and the team behind the technology.

Who Benefits Most?

Perhaps counterintuitively, Rafie suggests those most hesitant about AI could potentially gain the most: "Often, those who are least well off in society have the most to gain from AI. Because we can now write emails, write our contracts."

AI democratizes capabilities previously available only to those with specialized knowledge or resources. From crafting the perfect CV to creating shopping lists or planning holiday packing, everyday tasks become more manageable.

Yet a digital divide persists: "Those are the people least likely to use it," Rafie notes, highlighting the importance of making AI accessible and approachable to everyone.

Startups can particularly benefit from AI—check out contract templates designed specifically for startups and explore different contract types for various needs.

Getting Started with AI

For newcomers intimidated by AI, Rafie recommends starting simple: "Anytime you have a question, just go online and try the main language model providers, like Chat GPT, Anthropic, Gemini from Google, and just ask it a question."

He also mentions specialized tools like Perplexity for enhanced search capabilities. The key is experimentation—finding specific applications that solve real problems in your daily life or work.

New to AI tools? See how Genie AI compares to alternatives with their comparison guide and explore their transparent pricing.

Maintaining Humanity

Throughout the conversation, both Eddie and Rafie return to a crucial theme: maintaining our humanity while leveraging AI's capabilities.

Rafie expresses concern about people anthropomorphizing AI:

"I've got friends who are referring to AI as 'she,' 'he,' 'him' or any other pronoun, and it's not a person. It's an 'it'."

Rafie: "I am trying to resist AI being treated as human beings. I'm trying to keep our humanity and to use AI where we need to use it."

He emphasizes maintaining balance: "We just have to remember, Eddie, to also keep training our minds and keep thinking, don't forget and lose all our responsibility to AI."

Genie AI maintains a clear code of conduct for responsible AI use and provides accuracy ratings to maintain transparency, and ensure our users don't solely rely on our AI, without critical human oversight.

Conclusion: Finding the Balance

As our digital and physical worlds increasingly merge, the conversation between Eddie and Rafie offers a valuable framework for thinking about AI: not as a miraculous solution or existential threat, but as a powerful tool requiring mindful application.

The future belongs neither to those who reject technology entirely nor to those who embrace it uncritically. Rather, it favors those who can strategically leverage AI's efficiency while preserving uniquely human judgment, creativity, and connection.

As Rafie puts it, the key is remembering where technology ends and humanity begins—using AI to handle tedious tasks while reserving our human attention for nuance, ethics, and meaningful connection. In this balanced approach lies the potential to enhance our lives without diminishing our essential humanity.

Want to learn more? Visit Genie AI's blog for ongoing insights about AI and legal technology, or contact us directly with questions.

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