The concept of Artificial Intelligence is a new industrial revolution. Artificial intelligence will not just raise our standard of living, but change the way people live. AI will have the same economic and cultural impacts as inventions of the industrial revolution such as the railroad and electricity. These impacts will drastically change how we live our lives. With these thoughts of hope and possibilities of AI in the future we must embrace it and take it head on. We must see it as opportunity rather than a frustrating challenge and feel hope rather than fear. It is by having this mindset that AI will help us live and work smarter that we should approach the topic and dive in, like those at Stanford who have just launched an Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. The Stanford HAI was created to show exactly how beneficial AI can be. It promotes and helps develop human-centered AI technologies and different applications that will enhance the human productivity and quality of life.
One of the reasons people are not 100% sold on AI is because it is mostly funded by big corporations. Being funded by corporations rather than government will likely mean profitability will be prioritized over what is best for humanity. That being said it was corporations, inventors, and entrepreneurs who lead the progress during the first industrial revolution. Despite making all of these positive inventions to further benefit human life, they also come with problems of their own. Our new technology has created new challenges leading to pollution, climate change, and resource depletion. In order to make sure profitable products don’t outweigh quality of life, we need to make sure the corporations sponsoring further AI research are from a wide range of sectors giving the widest range of perspectives possible.
This is why Standford’s HAI will be so important in the future conversations and developments. Stanford will work hand in hand with Silicon Valley companies which will be bringing in technical innovation, but they will also draw upon the viewpoints of policy makers, philosophers, ethicists, and economists to help ensure the participation is as diverse as the world we live in; developing the best practices to benefit all of humanity. As we continue to develop AI technology it is import to keep asking questions. Most of us are constantly asking”what could possibly go wrong?”, but it is important to also take a different perspective. Like Reid Hoffman, chair of Stanford HAI’s advisory board said, “I will continue to ask myself as AI evolves: What could possibly go right?”. Hoffman sees this as an important question to ask because he believes we must view our efforts to get to the best possible outcomes through defensive or preventative lenses. By having diverse viewpoints, we can have skeptical inquiries to keep us in check and see potential problems as well as see potential solutions.
After thinking and imagining all the different possible ways AI can be integrated into our every day lives we must also remember it will not be the answer to every problem, but we must continue to dream and work towards that goal. As for now, the Stanford HAI is the first step in that dream.
This is why I believe all companies should devoting resources towards artificial intelligence. I believe it is import to be at the forefront of this technological innovation from a company stand point. By being involved from the beginning you can help drive the conversation. You can work towards what will be most beneficial from a consumer stand point, but also help transition your company into achieving your own goals as well.