Keep an eye on AI and Big Data
As AI becomes smart enough to program itself and Big Data grows into massive data, states must act as the risk of things going wrong or abuse rises.
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EVEN as all eyes have been trained on Singapore for the historic Trump-Kim summit, there is a rather more mundane, yet no less critical, reason for the world to look more closely at this city-state. In an arguably far-sighted move, the Singapore government has announced its plan to establish a new Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data. The impetus for such an advisory body is pressing, with artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, machine learning and the Internet of Things being increasingly embraced as the country seeks to fulfil its ambitions of becoming a smart city.
Besides Singapore, the conversation on the ethical use of such technology is also rapidly gathering momentum around the world. Nightmare scenarios of AI failures are often invoked as cautionary tales of technology running amok if devoid of a moral compass. Reports of autonomous vehicles maiming hapless victims or factory robots wreaking havoc stoke visceral fears, further inflamed by dystopian science-fiction tropes.
Yet the adverse impact of AI that contravenes ethical norms and social acceptability is often far less dramatic, considerably more insidious, and increasingly widespread.
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