AI a problem or a solution when it comes to hiring staff

Artificial Intelligence is currently creating massive changes in many institutions. A German editor was recently fired over a fake AI interview with racing legend Michael Schumacher. Students are finding it increasingly easy to use AI tools such as ChatGPT to write essays and even to complete examinations AI is used in the workplace for functions ranging from ensuring compliance with increasingly complex regulations to managing compensation and benefits.

The Terminator franchise was based on the premise that AI systems might gain awareness and decide to defend themselves by getting rid of humans. While this idea still seems to be a stretch, there is disturbing evidence that the distinction between AI and human intelligence might be shrinking.

We’ve become used to sky-high property prices. In fact, they recently surpassed Celtic Tiger record highs. But in recent months something different has been happening: house prices are falling across Europe. This is true in Ireland, too, where the housing market has appeared insulated against any change in the weather for quite some time.

But are we now looking at a bubble bursting — and a further fall in prices — or just a bit of a cooling off period? “I think there’s a couple of different dynamics at play in the housing market at present,” says Kieran McQuinn, Research Professor with the ESRI and adjunct professor of economics at TCD.

First, we need to talk about the pandemic because it had “quite an impact” on the housing market in Ireland, McQuinn notes. Then, people weren’t spending their money and going out because of the public health measures. “So demand was fuelled in that sense: people had extra savings that they could use to purchase housing. There’s survey evidence to suggest that’s exactly what happened.”