Artificial intelligence, real confusion

These days it seems like AI, everywhere, all at once. 

Which is a mix of exciting possibilities, scary pitfalls, and lots of things to be confused about. Should we be worried or excited about artificial intelligence? What does the “GPT” in ChatGPT stand for, anyway? Why is Bing back? It’s been hard to know how we should think about it, so here are the top three things we think are important to know: 

1. Artificial Intelligence isn't simply here to improve our lives, it's here because there’s tons of money to be made for billionaire tech execs.

AI didn’t come out of nowhere, and its sudden prevalence is motivated more by corporate competition than consumer need or actual utility. As companies race to put out AI-assisted products, they are cutting corners and choosing profits over ethics and safety. The resulting AIs are being tested in real time on a barely consenting user base and tweaked only after very public displays of their inadequacy. 

2. AI is making big mistakes, with horrible consequences for us– not the tech execs.

Bing’s AI suggested a user respond ‘heil Hitler’ in conversation.  An AI Seinfeld parody on the platform Twitch had to be pulled after making transphobic jokes. Semi-autonomous drones in war zones are poised to make life or death decisions based on very new and unreliable technology, and AI facial recognition software is sending people to prison based on incorrect matching. These examples of AI failure won’t be the last, and the consequences for users reach way beyond the online realm.

3. If tech execs keep calling the shots, workers and users have a lot to lose, but we are organizing for a different future.

Tech companies may claim they have a vision, but they really just have a mandate to enrich their shareholders and will do whatever it takes. So if they have their way, AI will continue to deliver more of the same: upping profits at the expense of workers, cutting search time at the expense of accuracy, and replicating oppression. But AI doesn’t have to replace people or ideas. It could clear more room for expression, representation, and better care—like uplifting Black art and enabling more accurate medical procedures– if our communities were at the center of its development and use.

It’s a lot, but our road ahead is clear: we must continue to fight for technologies (including AI) that work for us, not the other way around.Kairos is watching as the AI story continues to evolve, and this won’t be the last you’ll hear from us on the issue. We’re curious to know– what are you thinking or wondering about AI? Feel free to leave thoughts in the comments.