Confronting The Long-Term Risks Of Artificial Intelligence

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(Source: The Hindu, 10/17/2023)

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Why in the news?

This article discusses the risks posed by Artificial Intelligence and the need for regulation of the sector.

What are the long-term risks posed by AI systems?

• Union of biotechnology and AI: Israeli philosopher and historian Yuval Noah Harari has highlighted how a combination of AI and biotechnology could affect human existence.
  • This could lead to AI systems learning how to manipulate human emotions, thoughts, and desires with severe consequences.
• Infrastructure risks: The evolution of AI systems has led to new applications including essential infrastructure and services like water and electricity.
  • Any malfunction or manipulation of such AI systems could lead to disruptions in these services with adverse risks to society and public well-being.
  • Although the risk of ‘Runaway AI’ is minimal, AI sceptics claim that there could be major risks to society.
• Corruption of AI: The evolution of human-level AI capable of outperforming human cognitive tasks could lead to a super-intelligence surpassing human intellect.
  • However, this can be potentially misused by misaligning, corrupting, or providing malicious goals.
  • AI can also perpetuate biases present in data, leading to unfair outcomes and discrimination.
• Lack of a unified approach: The lack of a unified approach to AI across the globe could impact the foundational objective of AI governance - ensure the long-term safety and ethical deployment of AI technologies.
  • According to the AI Index (Stanford University), legislative bodies in 127 countries passed 37 laws containing the words “artificial intelligence”.
  • The absence of collaboration and cohesive action at the international level has prevented the mitigation of risks associated with AI.
• Loose regulation: Countries that do not introduce regulations are likely to gain a competitive edge in terms of AI advancements and deployments, leading to AI systems that are not aligned with global ethical standards.
  • Experts fear that this could encourage a race to the bottom where safety and ethical considerations are neglected in favor of rapid development and deployment compromising global AI safety.
  • This could lead to destabilization and conflict, endangering international peace and security as countries loosen regulation in order to remain competitive.
• Military use of AI: Using advanced technology like AI in warfare could escalate long-term risks.
• It is therefore necessary that the global community form a treaty to establish global norms regarding the military applications of AI similar to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Chemical Weapons Convention.
  • The UN has formed the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems to design a legally enforceable mechanism to control autonomous weapons.
  • Privacy and responsible use: AI-based systems like facial recognition technology pose privacy and surveillance concerns as well as risks around the manner of collection and use of data.

AI regulations in various countries

• India: NITI Aayog has issued the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and the Responsible AI for All report which emphasizes social and economic inclusion, innovation, and trustworthiness in AI systems.
  • In July, TRAI released a consultation paper that recommended establishing a domestic statutory authority for regulating AI within a risk-based framework.
  • The Union government is likely to include tailored regulations for AI systems in the Digital India Bill, which will replace the IT Act, of 2000.
  • Prime Minister Modi has earlier mentioned the need for expanding ethical AI i.e. the development and deployment of AI systems in a way that aligns with ethical principles, societal values, and human rights
• EU: The AI Act defines AI as software that generates outputs such as content, predictions, recommendations, or decisions.
  • It adopts a ‘risk-based’ approach that links the severity of the risk to the area in which the AI is deployed and prohibits the use of AI in the highest risk category, including real-time facial and biometric identification systems in public spaces, influencing behavior, etc.
  • Although this approach is useful regarding AI applications in critical infrastructure, it can be oversimplified and overlook risks when applied in other areas.
• U.S.A: The AI Bill of Rights outlines the dangers posed to economic and civil rights by AI and lays down certain principles to mitigate them.
  • It adopts a sectorally specific approach to AI governance, with policy interventions for individual sectors such as health, labor, and education.
• U.K: The UK has adopted a lighter approach in which regulators have been directed to apply existing regulations to AI.
  • It consists of five principles - safety, security, and robustness; transparency and explainability, fairness, accountability and governance; and contestability and redress.
• China: In 2022, China enacted a law to regulate recommendation algorithms which focussed on how they disseminated information.

Conclusion

AI has to be aligned with universally accepted human values which requires a holistic and comprehensive regulation of AI that recognizes the need for advancement without overlooking the risks posed by AI.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: With the print state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following?

1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units
2. Create meaningful short stories and songs
3. Disease diagnosis
4. Text-to-Speech Conversion
5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC CSE 2020)

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5