Artificial Intelligence (AI) Influence: Implications on Lifestyle and Employment
In an AI-connected world, the importance of human interaction cannot be overstated, according to Dr Keegan. This sentiment comes as AI technology continues to evolve, with both promising advancements and potential ethical challenges.
One such challenge surfaced in 2016 when Microsoft's AI named Tay made hateful and bigoted remarks after interacting with humans on social media. This incident underscores the need for ethical considerations in AI development and use.
Employment is a significant area of focus. As AI-driven automation displaces jobs, particularly in routine cognitive labor sectors, ethical approaches aim to manage this transition. The goal is to shift workers towards creative, strategic, or higher-value roles, while also creating new job opportunities to offset displacement. Responsible AI development seeks to balance economic disruption with social responsibility.
Environmental impact is another crucial consideration. AI technologies, especially energy-intensive models like large neural networks, have a substantial environmental footprint. Sustainable AI practices include optimizing computational efficiency, utilizing renewable energy sources, and designing models mindful of resource consumption.
Data sovereignty is a key issue, particularly as AI relies on massive datasets. Countries and organizations are establishing legal frameworks and industry standards to protect data privacy, security, and control. AI governance tools help ensure compliance with intellectual property laws, prevent misuse, and maintain transparency.
The call for data sovereignty extends to indigenous communities, such as the Maori in New Zealand. The use of Maori language data to train large language models without permission has raised concerns about control of language evolution and cultural ownership.
The environmental impacts of AI are significant. The servers needed to train and maintain AI consume large amounts of power, with estimates suggesting that training a tool like ChatGPT generates a carbon footprint similar to that of five cars over their entire lifetimes.
Dr Te Taka Keegan has highlighted this issue, calling attention to the use of Maori language data without permission. The work required for AI to function can be physically and psychologically grueling, and is often precarious, with a large portion of the human work outsourced to countries like the Philippines, which is already experiencing disastrous effects from climate change.
Professor Mike Duke discusses the increasing use of robots and AI to do work once done by humans. This includes Archie, a robot with AI, being trained to replace humans in some vineyard work. However, concerns about job displacement and the ethical implications of AI are ongoing.
Dr Keegan advises fostering in-person connections as a means of counteracting AI's threats to social cohesiveness. He argues that it will be hard to pre-emptively regulate against the potential threats posed by AI, citing traffic laws as an example.
As AI represents a massive commercial application of advanced STEM research, the need for ethical guidelines is more important than ever. Efforts include creating ethical AI frameworks with diverse and representative data, inclusive development teams, and explainable AI systems to build trust and minimize biases. Legal landscapes are still maturing, with many countries relying on existing technology-neutral laws while progressing toward more specific AI regulations.
In conclusion, the ethical considerations in AI development and use are framed around accountability, fairness, transparency, inclusivity, and safety. The fast-growing AI industry has led to the emergence of new roles such as prompt engineers, AI auditors, and AI ethicists. As AI continues to shape our world, it is crucial to maintain a focus on responsible innovation and ethical practices.
For a more in-depth exploration of AI, readers are encouraged to refer to the article "Artificial intelligence".
References:
- Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI
- AI Now Institute Report 2020
- OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence
- The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?
Despite the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the importance of human interaction remains crucial, as emphasized by Dr Keegan. Simultaneously, the use of AI raises ethical concerns, such as the potential for AI, like Microsoft's Tay, to make harmful and offensive remarks due to interactions with humans.
In a world where AI is driving automation and potentially displacing jobs, especially in cognitive labor sectors, ethical approaches are essential to manage this transition. The goal is to encourage workers to move towards creative, strategic, or higher-value roles, while also creating new opportunities to counteract job displacement. This ethical approach of AI development seeks to balance economic disruption with social responsibility.
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