A study by the Edelman Center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Experts and the World Economic Forum (WEF) is conclusive: AI will only benefit the most powerful, hurt the most disadvantaged, and cause social imbalances. The report compares the perception of the general public with the opinion of technology leaders who take an active role in the development and implementation of artificial intelligence, and the results are worrying?
If we take a closer look at the survey carried out, we observe that despite the fact that 91% of technology leaders and 84% of the general public think that AI constitutes the next technological revolution, the fear persists that, at the same time, it will lead to a negative impact on society, business or politics. This negative impact would range from smart toys for children with a potential invasion of their privacy, discrimination against the population with fewer resources or a loss of the intellectual capacities of humans. About a third of both groups, 30% of the general population and 33% of technology leaders, believe that artificial intelligence-generated “deepfake” videos could lead to information warfare and armed conflict.
The Edelman and WEF study explores all aspects of AI, from the most obvious and positive such as a better healthcare or industrial system, to concerns of widespread adoption. In Edelman they highlight that “concerns remain about the impact that artificial intelligence could have on employment, such as a massive loss of jobs and low incomes, or a more isolated and individualistic society.”
Other findings of the report indicate that 54% of the general public and 43% of technology leaders think that AI will harm the most disadvantaged, and 67% and 75% respectively believe that it will benefit the most powerful. Also 71% of the general public and 65% of technology leaders fear that artificial intelligence leads to a loss of the intellectual capacities of human beings, while 74% of the general public and 72% of technology leaders estimate that AI devices will reduce the need for people to interact, leading to isolation of individuals.
Other data from the study conclude that 81% of the general public and 77% of technology leaders believe that advances in artificial intelligence will provoke conservative reactions from a part of society that feels threatened. 51% of the general public and 45% of technology leaders agree that “deepfake” videos, produced with AI, would significantly erode audience confidence in believing that no information is true.
Kay Firth-Butterfield, director of artificial intelligence and Machine Learning at the World Economic Forum, says that “it is clear from the results of the study that companies and governments need to take steps to ensure that the potential harm that AI could cause does not entail the loss of the benefits of this technology. The global community needs to be aware of the risk factors associated with this type of transformation and, at the same time, create an environment where the benefits can be extended to society as a whole. “
Despite all these reservations, what is deduced from the answers and the verbatim quotes of the study is a “desire to know where artificial intelligence will guide us.” “Curiosity” wins out over “fear”, and this is what drives us forward despite the apparent risks. Will you be right? The study authors wonder, Google CEO Sundar Pichai when he points out that AI is probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on after electricity or fire? Or Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of the Chinese venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures, and author of “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order” when in January this year he stated that “artificial intelligence is going to change? the world more than anything in history?
