Can Artificial Intelligence lead to a better world?

The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing our society and redefining the meaning of “person” in our world. New technologies are merging the physical and digital world, while bringing about the artificial furthering of human intelligence.

All the biggest technology companies (Microsoft, SAP, IBM, Amazon, Google, among others) believe AI will be one of the main areas of focus in the coming years. Many sovereign states have also made large investments in the field. Even so, the first and only thing that many people think of when they hear the words “Artificial Intelligence” are films such as “2001 – Space Odyssey”, “Terminator”, “Matrix” or “AI – Artificial Intelligence”.

How can we deal with this fear? How can we be sure that artificial intelligence continues to be a force for “good”, a force that will improve our planet, our lives and our society?

There has been a lot of discussion about AI and the potential consequences in our lives and society. Images have been conjured of a magnificently automated world or a dystopian nightmare. Contemporary scientists like Stephen Hawking have warned us of the possible consequences: “The primitive forms of artificial intelligence have proven to be very useful, but I believe that the development of a complete artificial intelligence could finish the human race” (speaking to the BBC, in December 2014).

There are many concerns of differing natures that go beyond the most discussed issue in recent times – technological unemployment – such as more intrinsic questions of human existence: the desire for power, feelings, empathy and compassion for other beings, the relationship with transcendence, among others.

It is important to bear in mind that we do not want a “man vs. machine” competition, but instead a collaborative relationship, but can society control this?

There are some principles that everybody should abide by. A basis would be the three Laws of Isaac Asimov (1942) for robotics, which can serve as a global treaty for the conception and integration of artificial intelligence in society.

We have achieved widespread consensus when it comes to treaties and conventions such as the Geneva Conventions that regulate matters as complex as war. Some advocate the same kind of treaty should be created for the use of artificial intelligence in society and to establish the limits of its use. In other words, nations can agree on a set of universal principles and create a regulatory entity to monitor them, but which does not reduce the potential development and application of artificial intelligence in society.

I end with a statement from one of the important thinkers on this issue: “The safest thing to do is to make machines more intelligent, not less intelligent” (Pedro Domingos, “The Master Algorithm revolution”, 2017)

Jorge de Freitas Nunes – EY Partner