You’ve probably read about the “existential threat” posed by artificial general intelligence (AGI). It’s a bleak future where super-intelligent machines outsmart us and destroy humanity. We may be fascinated by this high-stakes story, but we are also misunderstood. The real threat of AI is already there, lurking in our everyday digital experiences. While tech giants and media tout a dystopian future for AI, they distract us from the AI and related data privacy issues we now have to solve.
“Intelligent” Tools That Already Threaten Us
Here are 10 ways today’s narrowly focused, application-specific AI is weaponizing data that can wreak havoc on individuals, businesses, and even governments. (The list could be longer.) You don’t need Super Intelligence or his AGI for these use cases. Everything is now possible using existing tools at your fingertips.
1. AI-powered personalization: Manipulate personal choices by analyzing personal data for targeted advertising. AI is used to iterate these ads until the desired level of engagement is reached. You can think of this as automated persuasion.
2. Deepfakes and misinformation: Surrealism can damage reputations and disrupt democratic processes.
3.
Hacking with AI: Large-scale automated data breaches can put individuals and businesses at significant risk.
Four. financial market operations: With both AI trading bots and rapid trades performed by AI messaging bots, malicious actors can manipulate stock prices and destabilize markets.
Five. Discrimination by AI: AI can unintentionally amplify bias and lead to unfairness in law enforcement and recruitment. This is especially true now, as certain questions are banned and data are simply missing. For example: Is this person a man or a woman? No data is stored as it cannot be asked in a job interview. How can engineers check if the system is biased if the data they use to check is missing?
6. surveillance society: Governments may use AI technologies such as facial recognition, mobile phone IMEI, device MAC addresses and Wi-Fi signals for mass surveillance, potentially leading to violations of civil liberties. Some employers are already doing this for both on-site and remote employees.
7.
biased medical treatment: Skewed data may lead to inappropriate or inaccurate treatment of underrepresented groups.
8. price discrimination: AI can (and does) adjust prices based on consumer data, leading to unfair pricing.
9. cyber war: Weaponized AI could destroy critical infrastructure and enable devastating cyberattacks against nations.
Ten. data privacy: Current laws fail to adequately protect against misuse of personal, corporate, or government data.
These current challenges (and dozens not listed) pose an immediate threat and require immediate action. We have long needed comprehensive data privacy laws, and we still need them. We also need to advocate for safe and ethical AI practices, which are not yet fully defined.
regulation
Can the AI industry self-regulate? It is expected. From the AI industry’s perspective, if regulators say no to self-regulation, the next best thing would be for governments to impose regulation quickly. Incompetent government regulation (and what we likely will be) will effectively ensure that big tech companies stay big and small businesses are shut out of the AI innovation race. Because big tech companies are in a better position than any rule that regulators can “use”. impose.
Today’s dangers are clear and exist
AI is not a future threat. It’s the current reality. It’s time to update our AI conversations to reflect this fact and turn our collective gaze from the future to the immediate and real challenges we face. As interest in AGI continues, let’s recall a pressing issue that needs attention now. We shouldn’t just fear a future where AI gets too smart. We should be concerned about how AI is being used today. Because the real threat to AI isn’t just what happens next. It’s already here.
To learn more about how AI works and how you can use it to improve your productivity, check out our free online course Generative AI for Execs. Help me understand this important issue.
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Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and express my own opinion. Neither I nor my company received any compensation for it.
Sherry Palmer He is Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting firm that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. He was named LinkedIn’s “Top He’s the Voice in Technology” covering technology and business. good day new yorkis a regular commentator on CNN and author of a popular blog about daily business. He is a best-selling author and creator of popular free online courses. Generative AI for executives.follow @Sherry Palmer Or visit shellypalmer.com.
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