CS Mar-Apr 2024

artificial intelligence
WHY AI DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE ENEMY
AI AND HUMANITY ARE PARTNERS, NOT ADVERSARIES, ARGUES ONE OBSERVER. RECOGNISING
THIS CAN BRING A FUTURE WHERE AI EMPOWERS, RATHER THAN ENDANGERS, OUR SPECIES
The question of whether AI has slipped
from our grasp, careening towards an
apocalyptic singularity, ignites a primal
fear within us, points out LiveAction founder
John Smith. "While Hollywood depictions
of sentient robots wreaking havoc paint
a chilling picture, the reality, for now, is far
less dramatic," he suggests. "True, we haven't
achieved the mythical 'general intelligence' in
AI. Today's systems, despite their impressive
feats, remain confined to narrow tasks and
often stumble with issues like accuracy,
bias and even hallucinatory outputs. It's like
handing a toddler a paintbrush: the results,
while undeniably creative, can be messy and
unpredictable."
However, dismissing AI as harmless would
be a dangerous oversight, warns Smith.
Despite its limitations, it's already deeply
woven into our lives, powering algorithms
that influence news feeds, filter financial
transactions and even diagnose diseases. This
raises a crucial question: who holds the reins?
"Thankfully, the answer isn't some renegade
Skynet. Companies and governments, for
all their flaws, are still the ones pulling the
strings. AI regulations, though nascent,
are evolving, striving to ensure ethical
deployment and safeguard against misuse.
This isn't foolproof, but it's a vital line of
defence."
Perhaps a more pressing concern lies not
in AI itself, but in the hands wielding it.
"Malicious actors, armed with AI tools, pose
a genuine threat. But let's not forget the
destructive track record of our own species.
Wars, social divisions, environmental devastation
- humanity, armed with primitive tools,
has already inflicted immense harm on itself
and the planet. This begs a critical question:
are we projecting our own flaws onto AI,
fearing the monster we ourselves created?
The truth is, AI isn't some external bogeyman.
It's a reflection of ourselves, a tool shaped by
our values and intentions."
Instead of succumbing to dystopian
fantasies, he advises, perhaps we should turn
the lens inward. "If we truly fear AI becoming
'out of control', then perhaps the question we
should be asking isn't 'can we control it?' but
'can we control ourselves?' Ultimately, AI can
be a powerful force for good or ill. The choice
lies not in some hypothetical singularity, but
in the present decisions we make, the values
we instil in both our technology and ourselves.
It's time to move beyond the 'AI vs. humanity'
narrative and recognise that, in this technological
dance, we’re partners, not adversaries.
Only then can we truly orchestrate a future
where AI empowers, rather than endangers,
our species."
FEAR OF EXPOSURE
As technology advances at an accelerated
rate, many organisations - particularly those
handling sensitive data or under public or
regulatory scrutiny - may feel a heightened
sense of exposure with the advancement
of AI, concurs Keiron Holyome, VP UKI
& Emerging Markets, BlackBerry.
"These concerns are valid. Our latest research
identified a 50% uptick in targeted cyberattacks
against national infrastructure. We
also saw a 70% increase in new malware
identified. These indicators suggest that
adversarial entities are taking advantage of
technological innovation - including AI -
against critical industries and organisations.
"Although it's difficult to tell if a hack has
come from a human or AI source, we'd be
naïve to deny that malicious actors are
employing AI in increasing efforts to broaden
their scope, increase effectiveness and amplify
the frequency of attacks to circumvent defensive
measures. For instance, threat actors can
abuse ChatGPT and other Large-Language
Models (LLMs) to generate potentially
malicious code or to create more authentic
and persuasive phishing content."
AI HAS ITS SAY
So, what might AI itself have to say about all
this? Well, here follow some thoughts along
that very line, partially rendered by AI and
partly by human input, namely Gareth Owen,
director, Redkey USB:
"The rapid advancement of artificial
intelligence (AI) has brought us to a critical
juncture in its evolution. AI's profound impact
on industries and our daily lives raises a vital
question: Is AI already beyond control? As we
integrate AI more deeply into our systems, the
echoes of cautionary tales like those depicted
in the film 'I, Robot' become increasingly
relevant. This classic film foresaw the need
for stringent rules to govern AI behaviour,
famously encapsulated in its 'Three Laws of
Robotics.'
"Today, as AI evolves and becomes more
autonomous, it's clear that the concerns and
considerations portrayed in 'I, Robot' years
ago are more than just science fiction; they
are rapidly becoming our reality. The film's
foresight underscores the urgency for the
industry to implement similar foundational
rules and ethical guidelines in AI development
to safeguard our future.
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