The Obama administration is worried about AI (artificial intelligence). If you think of Skynet, it's not Skynet. However, let's just say the problem is quite worrying, even without the special effects.
It is well known that science is increasingly concerned with the development of robotic systems. The problem lies in the delicate decisions and the future risks posed by poorly coded units.
The Obama administration released a report this week that examines the problems associated with the transition to an increasingly automated world.
The report attempts to define the problems that can arise with algorithmic decision-making increasingly operating without much (or no) human oversight. Let's see why the Obama administration is worried.
According to the report:
As services that use data become increasingly ubiquitous, and as we have seen we become increasingly dependent on them, we will need to address concerns about intentional or implicit biases that may arise from both the data and the algorithms used, as the impact reaches the user and society.
Transparency issues arise when companies, institutions and organizations use algorithmic systems and automated processes to inform decisions that affect our lives, such as whether or not we qualify for credit or employment opportunities, or what our financial situation is, the housing we get and the advertisements we see.
The idea that robots can become self-aware and annihilate humanity may not be so far-fetched, but these systems control almost every part of our adult lives.
Access to credit, employment, housing, education, and much more is typically handled algorithmically by programs that analyze vast amounts of data quickly and find information about each of us, upon request.
These poorly coded and poorly designed algorithms, or biases, could lead to inaccuracies, and errors that will lead to denial of credit, housing, or even admission to certain schools.
The White House wants to change all that by developing an ethical framework for designing AI that is so precise that it can operate without human intervention.
The White House report doesn't go into detail about what all this could entail, but it's clear that the Obama administration is concerned about a future that increasingly relies on artificial intelligence to make decisions that could change people's lives.
A Report on Algorithmic Systems
