If the last couple of years have seen AI go from a niche concern to something people around the world use all the time, 2024 could see even more rapid developments in the field.
There are always more things that AI can do, but as it develops there are some huge things coming that could alter how we all see it.
A post on science website LiveScience has broken down three major areas where AI could have a lot to say in 2024, and it makes for pretty scary reading.
Advert
One is that this is an election year for lots of countries - including in the US and likely the UK too - and AI could play a sinister role.
As people in the US are set to go to the polls, likely choosing between Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the second time, deepfake AI tech has gone from pretty mediocre to very impressive. The post predicts an explosion in misinformation using deepfakes of candidates or other politicians.
Whether social media platforms and individual users are well-equipped enough to combat this will be something that unfolds in the public eye over the next six months and more.
Advert
Another worrying trend that Live Science predicts will be important in 2024 is the rise of what are officially called lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS). These aren't currently allowed - they're drones or robots that are able to take lethal action without being told to do so explicitly first.
However, militaries around the world are starting to embrace AI tools, and there is a general fear that this direction of travel could make it a matter of time before AI plays a major role in armed conflicts around the world.
The final prediction the post makes is one that might not come true before 2024 is up, but would be scary if it does appear - the arrival of Artificial General Intelligence.
Advert
This is a label that has been assigned to theoretical AI models that are smarter than a human brain in all areas, not just in raw computational power.
It's been a hypothesis for a long time in science fiction and philosophy that this could be a tipping point, both in AI and the history of the human race in general.
Massive American AI firm OpenAI (which is responsible for ChatGPT) has talked about its work on a new model called Q* (pronounced Q-star), and Live Science theorizes that whenever this arrives, it could be a quantum leap forward in AI's quality - although whether it reaches the point of full AGI will be hard to guess before it appears.
Given that Elon Musk has said he expects AI to smarter than any single human by next year, and smarter than all humans by 2029, it's definitely one to keep an eye on.