Tech News Summary:
- The EU competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, has warned that discrimination poses a bigger threat to the progress of artificial intelligence (AI) than human extinction. She stressed the need for “railings” to combat the increased risks associated with AI technology, especially when it’s used to make impactful decisions that could affect someone’s livelihood.
- The EU will vote on proposed AI rules on Wednesday to address issues with the development of technology that allows computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence too quickly. Vestager concerns are that AI amplifies bias or discrimination and that big data used to train models may contain inherent biases or discriminatory elements.
- The proposed AI law seeks to categorize different types of applications into different risk levels for consumers based on their potential impact. While facial recognition has caused concern globally, proposals from the European Parliament aim to restrict the collection of user data from social networks or CCTV images and limit the use of facial recognition technology in real-time, but only in specific circumstances such as searching for a missing child or a terrorist on the run.
In a shocking revelation, the European Union has warned that discrimination created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) could pose a bigger threat to society than human extinction itself. According to the EU, AI-supported intelligence brings with it a risk of disempowering certain groups to the point of eradicating them completely, leading to dire implications for social stability and economic impact.
The warning comes amidst rising concerns about AI discrimination. Despite the promise of AI in transforming industries and boosting efficiency, studies have shown that the technology exacerbates existing inequalities in society. It discriminates against people who fall outside the accepted social norm, such as racial minorities, women, and the differently-abled. Such biases and prejudices can ultimately lead to serious harm to society at large.
The report highlights the need for countries to take a hard look at how they’re using AI. Recommendations include developing a regulatory framework that requires AI systems to be transparent and accountable with fair treatment for all groups. It’s hoped that these steps will help build confidence in the use of AI, which is essential to maintaining social harmony.
The EU also urges businesses and the tech industry to strive for a fair and inclusive approach for AI systems. A bottom-up approach with input from the marginalized communities, rather than a top-down system imposed by governments, is called for. This is a critical point, as tech companies and AI developers play a vital role in creating and implementing AI systems in society.
AI systems offer an unprecedented amount of technological potential, but it’s increasingly clear that society needs to address the current biases in AI before they get out of control. The warning from the EU serves as a wake-up call to the world on the dangers of AI discrimination. If left unchecked, the consequences could be catastrophic, with dire implications for the world we live in.