There are certainly a lot of ways AI could improve our lives and as mentioned by so many of us. AI among others could help solve human-created crises like climate change or enhance living situation, create equality. The sky is the limit. Also, we worry a lot about the point of singularity, what if AI powered algorithms, realise the power they have over humans and take over our world? Although, this sounds like a scary sci-fi we are still discussing the idea of evil AI extensively. However, there is one detail we tend to underestimate in the web of application of AI and that is the evil of humankind. If AI can be used for the greater good, it can just as well be the means to a malicious end.
We are approaching the era where companies are adopting AI in several operations, to improve efficiency, customer experience, marketing approaches. In this mad world what could stop AI from getting into the wrong hands? In a recent article, TNW explores the possibility of autonomous weapons. Terrorists could potentially deploy autonomous weapons against any human target and investigating cases could prove to be even harder than nowadays terrorist attacks. Do you remember the Black Mirror episode (Hated in the Nation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5709236/ ), where the bees were used as a weapon to murder the most hated person in based on a social media poll? We are not quite as far from it as we think. This is why it is of crucial importance that governments and regulatory bodies start thinking about the malicious uses of AI and implement measures that limit its deployment.
And then comes our question… what can we do about this? Aren’t we just tiny and insignificant in the whole scheme of things? Yes, we kind of are, but if Kyle Jenner can make thousands of people indulge in crazy challenges, we can certainly do something as well.
I would invite you to have a look at this page https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/. They actively address the issue of automation in weaponry and is pressing for important regulatory and political action. We can just tart by increasing awareness of potential misuse cases of AI and maybe the world realises the problems before it will be too late.
Greene, T. (2018). It’s only a matter of time until terrorists use AI as a weapon. [online] The Next Web. Available at: https://thenextweb.com/artificial-intelligence/2018/10/19/its-only-a-matter-of-time-until-terrorists-use-ai-as-a-weapon/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
Stopkillerrobots.org. (2018). Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. [online] Available at: https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
