1. AI is becoming increasingly essential across various industries, with worldwide business spending on AI expected to hit $50 billion this year and $110 billion annually by 2024.
2. Ethical concerns are mounting as private companies use AI software to make determinations about health and medicine, employment, creditworthiness, and even criminal justice without having to answer for how they’re ensuring that programs aren’t encoded with structural biases.
3. The use of AI should be tightly regulated, but there’s little consensus on how that should be done and who should make the rules. While the European Union already has rigorous data-privacy laws and the European Commission is considering a formal regulatory framework for ethical use of AI, the U.S. government has historically been late when it comes to tech regulation.
The Harvard Gazette article discusses the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in decision-making across various industries, including healthcare, banking, retail, and manufacturing. The article highlights the potential benefits of AI, such as improving efficiency and accelerating research and development. However, it also raises concerns about the ethical implications of AI's increasing use in decision-making processes.
The article notes that private companies use AI software to make determinations about health and medicine, employment, creditworthiness, and even criminal justice without having to answer for how they're ensuring that programs aren't encoded with structural biases. The lack of government oversight is a major concern for many experts who worry that these complex systems may do more societal harm than economic good.
The article also discusses the three major areas of ethical concern for society: privacy and surveillance, bias and discrimination, and the role of human judgment. While some argue that the use of AI should be tightly regulated to prevent unintended consequences or misuse, others believe that self-regulation by companies is sufficient.
One potential bias in the article is its focus on the benefits of AI without fully exploring its potential risks. For example, while the article briefly mentions concerns about bias and discrimination in algorithmic decision-making processes, it does not delve into specific examples or provide evidence to support these claims.
Additionally, while the article notes that small businesses could potentially benefit from AI technology by gaining access to detailed financial information in real-time without having to hire anyone or become a financial expert themselves, it does not address potential concerns about job displacement or automation's impact on small business owners.
Overall, while the article provides valuable insights into the growing role of AI in decision-making processes across various industries, it could benefit from a more balanced approach that explores both its potential benefits and risks.