#MWC18: Taking responsibility for AI

mwc 2018 paula boddington ai ethics

A session here at MWC 2018 titled ‘AI Everywhere: Ethics and Responsibility’ explored some of the questions we should be asking ourselves as the ethical minefield of AI development progresses. Dr Paula Boddington, a researcher and philosopher from Oxford University, wrote the book ‘Towards a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence’ and led today’s proceedings. She claims to embrace technological progress but wants to ensure all potential impacts of developments have been...

27 February 2018 | Ethics

Experts warn AI poses a ‘clear and present danger’

A report by leading experts calls on governments and businesses to address the “clear and present danger” posed by unregulated AI. The foreboding report is titled ‘The Malicious Use Of Artificial Intelligence’ and was co-authored by experts from Oxford University, The Centre For The Study of Existential Risk, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and more. Three primary areas of risk were identified: Digital security — The risk of AI being used for increasing the scale and efficiency...

21 February 2018 | Ethics

Leaders warn NATO is unprepared for AI warfare

Current and former European leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference to warn that NATO is unprepared for AI warfare. AI is set to revolutionise many industries and will bring a range of benefits to citizens and businesses around the world. Concerns about job losses have been prevalent, but AI’s inevitable use in a military capacity has been less discussed. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia, believes there is a 50 percent chance an AI system capable of launching a lethal...

16 February 2018 | Ethics

Report: AI will increase the wealth inequality between the rich and poor

Artificial intelligence advancements will increase the disparity of wealth between the rich and poor, according to a new report. The report titled "Artificial Intelligence and Its Implications for Income Distribution and Unemployment" was presented last month through the National Bureau of Economic Research. Economists Anton Korinek (Johns Hopkins University) and Joseph E. Stiglitz (Columbia University) believe economic inequality “is one of the main challenges posed by the proliferation of...

11 January 2018 | Government

Editorial: Facebook excluding the EU from AI advancement heralds a trend

EU regulations have forced Facebook to exclude citizens of member states from its new AI-powered suicide prevention tool, and it heralds a worrying trend. Facebook’s new suicide prevention tool aims to use pattern recognition to detect posts or live videos where someone might be expressing thoughts of suicide, and to help respond to reports faster. In a post announcing the feature, Facebook wrote: “We are starting to roll out artificial intelligence outside the US to help identify...

28 November 2017 | Regulation

New government and industry review aims to ‘supercharge’ UK AI industry

New proposals suggested by experts from industry and academia reveal how industry and government can lift the UK’s growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry by implementing the technology across the economy – from smarter scheduling of operations in healthcare, to hiring on-demand self-driving cars. The independent review, titled ‘Growing the Artificial Intelligence Industry in the UK’, reports on how AI can grow in the country, and will inform BEIS (Department for Business,...

16 October 2017 | Regulation

Musk warns ‘it begins’ as Putin claims the AI-leading nation rules the world

Elon Musk has issued a warning as Russian president Vladimir Putin claims the nation which leads in AI “will become the ruler of the world.” Musk, co-chairman of OpenAI, has long warned of dire consequences for mishandling AI development. OpenAI itself is a non-profit research company that aims to champion promoting and developing friendly AI in a way to benefit humanity. As with any major technology advancement, however, there will undoubtedly be those which aim to weaponise it and...

4 September 2017 | Regulation