Annuntio #1 - 4.7.2021 - 18.7.2021

The first is the use of AI systems in the
development of drugs. Here the report
highlights concerns with bias in training
datasets which have been shown to be
disproportionate in respect of gender,
socioeconomic status, race and accessibility to
technology.
As such, where AI systems are used in the
development of drugs, such drugs may be
appropriate only for a demographic of the
dataset and not for a more diverse population.
In such cases, a drug that is approved may not
be effective for the excluded population or
may even be harmful to their health and wellbeing.
Whilst the WHO report is a welcome step in
enlarging the discourse on the pivotal issue of
AI use in healthcare, its proposals can only
take effect with adequate implementation at a
national and grassroots level. It correctly notes
that in the absence of transparency or
enforcement there is difficulty in gauging
compliance with the principles set out in the
report or any policy document.
The second example cited is the use of AI
systems in allocation and prioritisation. This
is seen especially in strained healthcare
systems where resources are limited. It has
been suggested that machine-learning
algorithms could be trained and used to assist
in decisions to ration supplies, identify which
individuals should receive critical care or
when to discontinue certain interventions.
Here the report recognises the obvious
advantage of an assisted decision-making
process. However, it also highlights the
significant risk in the event of a biased system.
As AI systems have been shown to have the
ability to amplify pre-existing biases in
datasets, consideration must be given to
implementing ethical design into
prioritisation models.
Click on the image to download the full report
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blacklist, prohibiting U.S. companies from
investing in these blacklisted companies.
Can the U.S. successfully win a race for AI
dominance by enacting legislation that
essentially creates “technology blockades”? Is
the race for AI domination transforming into
the race for AI regulation? With U.S. and
China being the leading exporters of AI
technology, can regulation help the U.S. to
keep pace at leading the race?
and Innovation in the National Science
Foundation (NSF) with the goals of
strengthening “U.S. leadership in critical
technologies through basic research in key
technology focus areas, such as artificial
intelligence, high-performance computing,
and advanced manufacturing, and the
commercialization of those technologies to
businesses in the United States.”
The bill establishes ten “technology focus
areas” for the NSF to focus on with “Artificial
intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, and
related advances” on the top of the list. The
proposed legislation mentions several
prohibitions related to China, China’s
military, the Chinese Communist Party and,
Huawei.
Whilst the legislative fate of the bill lies in the
hands of the House of Representatives, it is
undeniable the race for AI domination has
entered a new phase which is the use of
national laws to bolster a bipartisan agenda of
propelling the U.S. as an AI superpower.
One such instance is the passing of a
bipartisan bill by the U.S. Senate in June this
year. The aim of the United States Innovation
and Competition Act of 2021 is to increase
American competitiveness in “strategic
sectors” and key technology focus areas. This
aim is premised on efforts to counter China’s
growing global influence. The bill proposes a
US$250 billion funding into U.S. technology.
Whilst the scope of the bill is still yet fluid, its
ambition is to have an effective central body
by establishing a Directorate for Technology
Whether such initiatives will bear fruit, the
reverberations felt from the pounding by U.S.
and China in winning this race will continue
to raise questions on how it will affect the rest
in the race. AI dominance will inevitably lead
to issues where certain businesses will take the
lead and exploit market power and the
schisms this will result in with the competition
law regime. This emerging dominance is
worrying when it lies in the hands of a few
exacerbating our concerns about whether AI
will lead to a new type of tyranny.
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