Regulation
Chapter 1: The Growing Need for AI Regulation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown exponentially in recent times. The adoption rate of AI has surpassed many other technological advancements, including the iPhone and WhatsApp. However, this rapid growth and adoption have also brought about existential threats to humanity, leading to calls for a pause in the creation of advanced forms of AI by organizations such as the Future of Life Institute.
1.1: The Gorilla Problem
Renowned experts in AI have raised concerns about the potential for AI to outsmart humans, a predicament referred to as the Gorilla Problem. Esteemed expert Stuart Russell cautions that the AI field has been operating on a simple assumption for over 50 years: the more intelligent, the better. He stresses that crossing this line once would be irreversible. This situation is likened to how the ancestors of modern gorillas inadvertently gave rise to modern humans, and the future of gorillas now rests in human hands.
However, unlike the gorilla scenario, AI is our creation, and we can control its behavior, principles, and boundaries. While AI presents potential dangers, it also signifies our potential to solve complex global problems such as climate change, disease, and poverty.
1.2: Immediate Threats from AI
There are several immediate threats from AI that require attention. These include the escalation of cyberattacks, the sophistication of scams, the spread of disinformation, and the potential for inescapable surveillance.
AI can generate working malicious code, leading to an increase in the volume, scale, and diversity of cyberattacks. Scams are becoming more sophisticated, with AI-assisted phishing and fraud schemes leveraging social media posts and personal data to create convincing pleas for help.
The spread of disinformation is also set to increase with the rise of multimodal AI. Algorithms will optimize propaganda and partisan assaults, making it difficult to discern fact from fiction.
Surveillance could become inescapable with the advancement of AI technology. AI can amplify tracking, enabling corporations and governments to predict behaviors on a massive scale yet with an unprecedented level of personal precision.
Chapter 2: The Regulation of AI
There are three main avenues for regulating AI: regulating its use, its capabilities, and its training.
Regulating its use could involve prohibitions against using AI to discriminate. Regulating its capabilities could involve restrictions on the development of real-time facial recognition AI. Regulating its training could require companies to need certifications to train machine learning models with substantial computational needs.
2.1: Global Approaches to AI Regulation
Different countries are adopting different approaches to tackle AI regulation.
Britain and America emphasize regulating use, applying existing regulations to AI systems. The European Union focuses on regulating capability, proposing a law that categorizes AI usage by degree of risk. Certain uses of AI, such as subliminal advertising and remote biometrics, could be banned under these regulations.
China is adopting aspects of regulating AI development, similar to the approach taken with medicines. This involves a dedicated regulator, rigorous testing, and pre-approval before public release.
Chapter 3: Lessons from History
Historically, society has faced similar threats with the emergence of nuclear weapons post-World War II. The response to this threat was the unanimous approval of the statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency by 81 countries. This granted the agency inspection rights to promote safe, secure, and peaceful nuclear technologies.
Chapter 4: The Impact of AI Regulation on Organizations
AI regulation has both positive and negative impacts on organizations. Despite the challenges of compliance, regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandate transparency and trust, which are vital elements of any successful customer relationship.
Regulations also provide a unique chance to uncover, study, and ultimately eliminate biases that may have unknowingly influenced operations. However, accountability in data and AI regulations extends beyond the corporate entity. Under certain regulations, individual managers can also face direct consequences for non-compliance.
Key Learnings:
- The rapid growth and adoption of AI have brought about existential threats to humanity, necessitating the need for regulation.
- Immediate threats from AI include the escalation of cyberattacks, the sophistication of scams, the spread of disinformation, and the potential for inescapable surveillance.
- The regulation of AI can take three main avenues: regulating its use, its capabilities, and its training.
- Different countries are adopting different approaches to tackle AI regulation, with some emphasizing regulating use, others focusing on regulating capability, and others adopting aspects of regulating AI development.
- AI regulation has both positive and negative impacts on organizations, mandating transparency and trust while providing a unique chance to uncover, study, and eliminate biases that may have unknowingly influenced operations.