Why we can't leave AI in the hands of Big Tech

Our fear is that a GM-style public backlash to AI might lead to a clampdown on its use in the public sector – leaving private companies to use it uncheckedFresh breakthroughs in artificial intelligence come thick and fast these days. Last month, Google ’s DeepMind revealed its latestGo-playing AI which mastered the ancient game from scratch in a mere 70 hours. AI can spot cancer in medical scans better than humans, meaning radiotherapy can be targeted in minutes, not hours. We may soon use the technology to design new drugs, or repurpose existing ones to treat other, neglected, diseases.But as we begin to realise these opportunities, the potential risks increase: that AI will proliferate, uncontrolled and unregulated, in the hands of a few increasingly powerful technology firms, at the expense of jobs, equality and privacy. Already, mistakes over thesharing of patient records between DeepMind and the Royal Free Hospital in London have raised public concerns about technology firms being involved in digital healthcare.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Science Technology Artificial intelligence (AI) Ethics Source Type: news