FILE – Case work supervisor Jessie Schemm looks over the first screen of software used by workers who field calls at an intake call screening center for the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services, in Penn Hills, Pa. The Justice Department has been scrutinizing a controversial artificial intelligence tool used by a Pittsburgh-area child protective services agency following concerns that it could result in discrimination against families with disabilities, The Associated Press has learned.
First, let’s look at those concerns. There’s worry that AI will dehumanize society by making us too soft or overly dependent on technology. AI could benefit a very few while eliminating jobs or replacing them with menial low-paying ones. AI applications could be biased, harming specific ethnic groups.
Scientists and engineers develop technology for a variety of reasons. Money is just one of the motivators. Scientists also yearn to explain and manipulate nature. For many technologists, being the first one to make a disruptive discovery is the ultimate motivator. In today’s environment, you must always assume there will be competent competition.
But there are ways to erect guardrails to reduce AI risks while allowing the beneficial development. The answer lies in creation of a coalition or an association that can bring stakeholders in industry, government and academia together to create standards and a legislative plan for AI. Standards should apply to the algorithms and data that are used to develop and train AI applications, making the applications more predictable and less biased.