Everyone should have a say in making the rules for AI, Singapore AI czar says
POLICYMAKERS should consult people from all walks of life before they create rules for artificial intelligence (AI) as the technology’s misuse may lead to harmful consequences, Singapore’s chief AI officer said.
“Policymakers need to humbly adopt a continual learning mindset” to stay up to date with the latest developments and should “learn from experts from academia and industry”, said He Ruimin at a forum during the 2024 World AI Conference on Friday (Jul 5).
They also need to have the “empathy to listen to and learn from non-expert voices” such as “citizens, workers, writers, artists, youth and the disabled” because “their fears and emotions about AI are real”, He said.
He cited Singapore as an example, saying it was the first country to launch an AI model governance framework in 2019 to provide businesses and consumers with practical guidelines on the responsible use of AI. This year, following extensive consultations with the international and industry communities, Singapore updated the framework to include generative AI as part of efforts to “regulate all of AI’s potential harms”.
Some observers have raised concerns that AI systems reproduce existing biases, breach privacy or cause other unintentional harms without oversight.
During the forum, He emphasised avoiding a false dichotomy in AI policymaking.
“(There is) nothing black and white about an AI policy. For example, an AI system can be generally useful but it sometimes says incorrect things. AI can increase productivity, but it can also cause job disruptions. It can help with climate change mitigations, it can also hurt the planet with its high consumption of electricity and power. It can do a lot for healthcare and AI systems can generate deepfakes and scams, but there are also ample examples of AI being deployed for the public good,” said He, who is also a member of the United Nations High-level Advisory Body on AI.
Given these facts, policymakers need to strike a balance by rolling out regulations that allow the beneficial application of AI technology to flourish while guarding against harmful uses, He said.
He added that in recent years, Singapore has updated its laws to safeguard the digital domain, including for personal data protection, and against misinformation and disinformation that is spread online, to better manage cyber risks and egregious content, and curb online criminal activities. In these regulations, the human or institution continues to be responsible for the consequences of their actions, even if these actions were aided by AI systems. CAIXIN GLOBAL
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