In the face of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, California has introduced new regulations aimed at bringing a semblance of order to the wild west of AI development. As companies continue to pour billions of dollars into building the most powerful systems yet to come, public concern about the implications of AI is mounting. A recent Gallup poll reveals a significant split in public opinion: the percentage of Americans who believe AI does more harm than good is twice that of those who think it does more good. Yet, the majority remain neutral, unsure of what this technology will ultimately bring.
This skepticism is not unfounded. AI is still in its infancy; ten years ago, many of the tools we now consider essential didn’t exist. Even five years ago, most were little more than experimental novelties. It was only two years ago that the first iterations of these tools began to surface, largely unnoticed by the general public. Then came ChatGPT, with its user-friendly interface, and the world took notice. Within two months of its launch, OpenAI’s creation had 100 million active users, igniting a global fascination with AI.
This unprecedented rise of AI, driven by a massive user base, has spurred countless competitors to release their own versions of chatbots and AI tools. But as these technologies proliferate, so too does the ease of generating vast amounts of content—much of it meaningless. This deluge poses a challenge for search engines, which have traditionally equated the quantity of text with authority. That assumption was flawed even before the advent of ChatGPT, and now search engines must adapt to sift through this new flood of AI-generated material.
Even as regulations like those in California attempt to rein in the race for AI dominance, we are still at the beginning of understanding how best to harness these emerging technologies. At Charity Spring, we remain enthusiastic about the potential benefits AI can offer to the nonprofit community. While it’s true that there may currently be more negative applications of AI than positive ones, we believe that with time and careful investment, the good will far outweigh the bad.
The real danger lies not in the technology itself, but in the possibility that human values could be sidelined. If we allow AI to take on more decision-making power without proper oversight, we risk losing control over its direction and purpose. For now, we must contend with the growing pains: the proliferation of bad AI content, an increase in robocalls, and the flood of pitch emails for unnecessary AI products.
As we navigate these early stages of AI development, Charity Spring is committed to making sense of it all. We are here to explore how AI can be used effectively and ethically, ensuring that human values remain at the forefront of this technological revolution.