Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at a remarkable speed. As a concept, it was not understood by many people just a decade ago but has since become one of the most exciting and daunting terms in the tech industry.
The growth of AI continues to outpace most other areas of tech advancement. For example, AI in the telecom industry is set to be worth $38.8bn by 2031. It’s no wonder Big Tech firms such as Apple, Google, and Amazon are working on AI systems.
The dramatic leaps forward that have been made in the industry in recent years mean it is more important than ever for considerations to be made about regulation in AI. Governments and other bodies have the power to ensure AI is used positively.
Here is a look at the essential role that regulation has to play in the development of AI systems.
The Importance of Removing Bias
It’s a common misconception that AI “thinks” for itself, but AI can only exist with human input. As with anything that is subject to human involvement, bias naturally forms. Historical and current inequality is fed into AI systems, often unconsciously.
This input of bias creates an output of bias. It is a consequence of both the data that is fed into an AI program and the requests made by human trainers.
Take the example of paintings by famous artists. If the vast majority of images of paintings added to the system depict white people, it will become better at identifying white people. Alternatively, training a system with data annotators from the UK alone will westernize the system and create bias in favor of that country above others.
The bias of AI systems can cause significant real-world problems. For example, Google’s AI system was once more likely to present high-paying jobs to men, while Amazon’s version was more likely to favor job applications containing the word “executed”, which men are more likely to use.
Public bodies and private sector companies have a responsibility to minimize bias in AI. This entails a company involved in AI development creating a set of policies with which to govern itself, and it helps to ensure that a diverse range of people are involved in training systems. It also relies on governments to insist on such measures.
The Vital Need to Ensure Ethical Use
As with all major tech developments in history, there are both good and bad actors at play. Governments and companies looking to make a positive impact in the world might use AI to improve medical care or help disabled people navigate the world more easily, while bad actors could use AI to tamper with democratic elections or create defamatory content.
For example, in the Hollywood movie industry, there will be both positive and negative results from the use of AI. One writer might use AI to improve their own ending to a story, which has no impact on their job or another person’s role.
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However, another writer may be using it with the specific intention of boosting profits without regard for making high-quality content.
The responsibility for ensuring that AI is used ethically falls on legislative bodies such as the US Congress. They have the power to regulate AI to prevent negative uses, such as job losses, deep fakes, and election tampering.
Legislative groups can insist that AI companies create a code of ethics and establish a body responsible for ensuring that regulations are being met and transparency is present at every level of implementation and use.
The value of AI regulation is clear when you consider the gambling industry. Legislation and internal company policies can help to ensure that AI isn’t used in a way that would impede the principles of fair play.
Royal Panda and others work within these frameworks to provide a great service and keep AI from damaging the relationship between brands and players. Self-imposed and governmental regulations are deeply valuable for such brands.
The Opportunity to Create More Jobs
The development of AI is believed to raise the risk of mass unemployment. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Regulation can insist that no jobs are lost to AI and that systems are used to support existing employees rather than replace them.
If AI does replace a role in an organization, legislation can insist that the employee is reassigned to an alternative role.
Moreover, regulations can be introduced that create more jobs. For example, the government could legislate that the more AI you use to support your business goals, the more jobs you need to create.
Alongside this, AI-literate workers are needed to ensure the effective and ethical implementation of AI regulations and systems across workplaces.
