AI is taking us down a darker path, and it's not an easy fix

ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) is already re-configuring the world in conspicuous ways. Data drives our global digital ecosystem, and AI technologies reveal patterns in data. Smartphones, smart homes and smart cities influence how we live and interact, and AI systems are increasingly used in recruitment, medical diagnoses and judicial verdicts.

Whether this scenario is utopian or dystopian depends on your perspective.

The potential risks of AI have been listed repeatedly. Killer robots and mass unemployment are common concerns; some people even fear human extinction. More optimistic predictions claim that AI will add US$15 trillion to the world economy by 2030, and eventually lead us to some kind of social nirvana.