To the surprise of many, the dark side of AI is a term that refers to the potential adverse effects of AI in the world.
AI has the potential for making positive changes in the world in many fields – to diagnose diseases, enable self-driving cars, and reduce human efforts. Nonetheless, the fast-growing news AI technology also poses several threats that should be managed appropriately while the technology progresses.
Unemployment
Another issue of worry is that as AI rises to the challenge and even surpass the human entity in many ways, many occupations could become obsolete. Self-driving trucks are seen as a threat to millions of drivers who may lose their jobs to technology. Some radiologists and lab technicians could be replaced by AI diagnostic tools. However, the scale of new jobs that would come from new breakthroughs in artificial intelligence is still unknown and the transition would prove to be very difficult if the new economy does not produce enough jobs to replace the lost ones.
Bias
Bias in AI systems is just as inherent as the bias in the data that is provided to the system during its training. But, often inherent prejudices in relation to gender, ethnicity, and age or any other aspect can be reflected in AI learning and produce unethical results. For instance, a number of recruitment tools were identified to have negative impacts on the female candidates. AI bias is a massive problem that current and future research is trying to solve but it is a daunting task.
Lack of Transparency
Many modern artificial intelligence models are opaque and even their designers do not know why the model produces particular outputs or makes certain predictions. This “black box” characteristic is a disadvantageous since it is difficult to determine whether there are undesirable biases or if the system could fail in certain ways. Insufficient understandability of the model’s functioning is an obstacle to evaluating and controlling AI uses.
Weaponization
Like with any other technology with great potential, one has to be wary of the potential use of AI for malicious purposes. AI could be used for deep fakes and fake news, which is essential for impersonating people and spreading misinformation at scale. It may also increase the options for surveillance states to closely monitor and profile its citizens. Besides, in the context of the creation of autonomous weapons systems, AI presents enormous threats with regard to the absence of human direction and supervision.
Paradoxically, the generally positive impact of AI development comes with some downsides, which should not be underestimated by researchers, policymakers, businesses, and societies at large. With proper regulation, ethical standards, and willingness to point out flaws, maybe we can gain on AI benefits while steering clear of its most sinister outcomes.
