Dangers of Gen AI to DE&I

It’s Sunday and I’m still thinking about The Inclusion Circle's forum on "Examining Gen AI's Role in Advancing Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion"?which was on Thursday!

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"What are the dangers of generative AI?" And guess what? I asked ChatGPT the question – word for word.

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Here are some of the dangers and let’s talk about how they are a threat to the good work in DE&I:

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ONE - Misinformation and Disinformation:

• Deepfakes: Generative AI can create highly realistic images, videos, and audio, making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake content, potentially spreading false information.
• Fake News: AI-generated text can be used to produce convincing fake news articles, misleading readers and exacerbating misinformation.

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As much as information is easy to access these days, so are deepfakes and fake news; both having potency to sow hate and division. DE&I work is reliant on truth and reconciliation and there’s an uphill battle with misinformation and disinformation

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TWO - Bias and Discrimination:

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• Reinforcing Biases: If trained on biased data, generative AI can perpetuate and even amplify existing biases in society, leading to unfair treatment of certain groups.
• Discriminatory Outputs: AI models may generate outputs that are offensive or discriminatory, reflecting the biases present in their training data.

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Just like nuclear technology, Gen AI may have been created with pure and positive intentions, but if you place something good in the hands of people with insidious and selfish intentions, they will use it to perpetuate and amplify biases. In another way of looking at things, if you go to ChatGPT and ask to create a narrative based on untruths and inflammatory parameters, it will do as asked.

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As much as it is a powerful tool, it is at the end of the day – a tool. If a person uses it for good, then good may come of it. If someone uses it with bad intentions …

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THREE - Manipulation and Influence:

• Psychological Manipulation: AI-generated content can be used to manipulate individuals' opinions and behaviors, influencing political, social, and consumer decisions.
• Social Manipulation: Generative AI can be exploited to create echo chambers and filter bubbles, reinforcing individuals' pre-existing beliefs and polarizing society.

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If Donald Trump won the presidency previously with social media – can you even imagine how devastating it would be if he had generative AI on his side back then? Whilst Gen AI is at it’s infancy now, I dare imagine the challenges in the near future when the next generation of Trumps will weaponize it further manipulation and influence.

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Here are some of the other dangers of Gen AI as suggested by ChatGPT:

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1. Quality and Reliability:

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• Unreliable Outputs: Generative AI can sometimes produce outputs that are factually incorrect or nonsensical, which can be problematic if not identified and corrected.
• Over-Reliance: Excessive dependence on generative AI for information and decision-making can lead to a lack of critical thinking and human judgment.

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2. Privacy Concerns:

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• Data Privacy: Generative AI models require large datasets, which can include sensitive personal information. Improper handling of this data can lead to privacy violations.
• Identity Theft: AI-generated content can be used to impersonate individuals, leading to identity theft and fraud.

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3. Security Threats:

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• Cybersecurity: Generative AI can be exploited to create sophisticated phishing attacks or malware, posing significant cybersecurity threats.
• Automated Misinformation Campaigns: AI can automate the creation and dissemination of misleading content on a large scale, undermining trust and security.

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4. Ethical and Legal Challenges:

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• Intellectual Property: The use of generative AI to create content raises questions about intellectual property rights and ownership.
• Accountability: Determining who is responsible for the actions and outputs of generative AI systems can be challenging, complicating legal and ethical accountability.

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5. Economic and Employment Impact:

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• Job Displacement: Automation through generative AI can lead to job losses in various sectors, particularly in creative and content-related industries.

Economic Inequality: The benefits of generative AI might be unevenly distributed, potentially increasing economic inequality