TECHNOLOGY
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a part of
our everyday lives. Should we embrace the technology or fear it?
BY CHRISANNE GRISÉ
Y
ou open TikTok and come across a
hilarious video you can’t wait to share
with your friends. By now, the app
knows exactly which types of clips you
enjoy. It serves up a steady stream of
them to keep you hooked.
But those videos aren’t chosen for you by a
human. TikTok uses a powerful computer algorithm
to analyze user behavior. The more the technology
is used, the “smarter” it gets. Every swipe, tap, and
video viewed by TikTok users around the world is
fed into databases. That’s billions of data points a
day. This information helps the system find what
will keep users’ attention.
This is just one example of artificial intelligence
(A.I.), or computer systems that perform tasks
normally requiring human-like thought
processes. That includes functions like
making predictions, creating strategies, or
recognizing what’s in an image or video.
Whether you realize it or not, you
probably interact with A.I. all the time.
Streaming sites such as Netflix and Spotify
use A.I. to suggest content to users. Map apps
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use it to predict traffic. And digital voice assistants
such as iPhone’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa rely on
it to understand our questions about trivia and the
weather forecast.
A.I. can provide information or solutions faster
than humans. That means it can be used to help
improve the world. But recently the technology has
I’m glad come under fire. Facebook, in particular, has faced
you asked intense criticism. That’s because the company has
that... long known that the A.I. algorithms on its apps,
including Instagram, can harm teenagers by feeding AGSANDREW/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (FACE); COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM (ECHO DOT)
them content that makes them more anxious or
depressed (see “The Furor Over Facebook” in the
Dec. 13, 2021, issue of Upfront).
A.I. systems are increasingly used for
everything from sorting through college
applications to controlling military
weapons. That has many people starting
to wonder: What does the future hold for
A.I.? Should we be afraid that it will do
more harm than good?
“Artificial intelligence is a young field
that hasn’t really acquired wisdom yet,”
says Sasha Luccioni, a researcher at Mila, an
Amazon’s Echo uses A.I. to respond to people.
 WATCH A VIDEO Bias in Facial Recognition
at UPFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

institute in Montreal studying A.I. systems. “Now

would be a great time to stop and think about the
progress we’re making.”
Self-driving cars have come a long way
Scientists first began developing A.I. in the 1950s.
in recent years, but safety is still an issue.
Back then, it was used for things like translating
spoken language for the government. It’s come a
long way since. These days, A.I. can beat humans
in video games. The technology can write articles
(though not ones as complex as this). It can control
robots, pilot drones, and drive cars (but not without
some accidents). It can be used to filter through
college and job applications. A.I. can create images
of human faces that look exactly like real ones. And
it can do so much more.
Researchers say that although A.I. is useful, it’s
still unrefined and clunky right now. For example, Netflix employs A.I. to help
things written by computers often don’t make you find your new favorite show.
sense. Case in point: The winning entry in last
year’s international A.I. Song Contest featured the
lyrics “Do the cars come

‘Now would be with push-ups?” And

with more complex tasks,
a great time such as operating self-
to stop and driving cars, A.I. doesn’t
think about yet function completely
smoothly or safely.
the progress “People don’t realize
we’re making.’
JANTAKON KOKTHONG/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES (PHONE); VIA TIKTOK (TIKTOK); ANTHONY DIBON/ICON SPORT VIA GETTY IMAGES (BASKETBALL ROBOT)

TikTok relies on
how hard it is to duplicate
a powerful algorithm
human reasoning and
YUICHIRO CHINO/GETTY IMAGES (BACKGROUND); QILAI SHEN/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES (SELF DRIVING CAR); VIA NETFLIX (NETFLIX);

to figure out what

our ability to deal with uncertainty,” says Cade you want to watch next.
Metz, a New York Times reporter and author
of a book about A.I. “A self-driving car can
recognize what’s around it—in some ways,
better than people can. But it doesn’t work
well enough to drive anywhere at any time or
do what you and I do, like react to something
surprising on the road.”

Full of Potential
But that hasn’t stopped experts from dreaming
up ways A.I. could make a difference. One
big area where it could be of service: tackling
climate change. Researchers say A.I. can
be used in a variety of ways to help the
planet deal with rising temperatures. That This robot,
powered by A.I., has
ranges from tracking animal populations
wowed crowds with its
and modeling how to slow biodiversity loss ability to make difficult
to predicting how wildfires will burn and basketball shots.
designing more energy-efficient buildings.
It could improve lives in other ways too. A.I. can
already detect tumors on X-rays before doctors can.
And it can also be used to create new medicines and
antibiotics. In fact, A.I. is assisting with Covid-19

vaccines by helping scientists understand the virus’s
makeup and tracking its mutations.
“The idea is to take things that can be, generally
speaking, good for humankind and use A.I. to make
them stronger or work better,” Luccioni says.
Unintentional Bias
But there are costs, especially when A.I. is trying
to learn patterns of human behavior. To do so, it
collects massive amounts of data on consumers.
That means your personal digital information
could be added into databases. These data points
include what you’re looking at, who you’re talking
to, what you’re posting and purchasing online.
This information can be used to create or improve
technology that predicts
behavior. Privacy experts
worry about those
details being collected
without consent.
That’s not the only
aspect of A.I. that
makes people nervous.
Critics point out that
A.I. is often biased
against people of color,
women, and those with
disabilities. Computers may seem objective, but the
people who build them might input their biases
into the technology. And doing so doesn’t have to
be intentional. Consider facial recognition software,
which uses A.I. Studies by M.I.T. and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology found that
although facial recognition worked well on White
men, the results were less accurate for everyone
else. That’s partly because the images used to train
the system didn’t contain enough diversity.
That bias could lead to people being wrongly
identified and punished. In 2019, a faulty facial
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Facial recognition software
at work in China (left) and in Russia (below),
where a program to let customers pay for
the train with their faces was tested.
recognition match led to the arrest of a New Jersey
man for a crime he didn’t commit. He was the third
person known to be wrongfully arrested based on
facial recognition. In all three cases, the people
YUICHIRO CHINO/GETTY IMAGES (BACKGROUND); NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES (CHINA); ANDREY RUDAKOV/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES (RUSSIA);
mistakenly identified were Black men.
Robots assemble “The problem with these A.I. systems is they
a car at a factory are, in fact, not intelligent,” says Jon Callas, director
in South Carolina. of technology projects for the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group.
One of the most universal fears about A.I. is that
it will replace humans at work. Companies hire
LUKE SHARRETT/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES (CAR FACTORY); COURTESY OF ENCODEJUSTICE.ORG (SNEHA REVANUR)
fewer workers when they rely on computers to get
work done more efficiently. Some A.I. experts argue
that while technology may displace some workers, it
will spur economic growth and create more fulfilling
jobs. But not everyone agrees. The consulting
firm McKinsey & Co. predicts that 45 million U.S.
workers will be displaced by automation by 2030.
New Regulations?
And then there’s the nightmare scenario: What
45 million if military weapons that use A.I. can decide on
American their own who lives and who dies? Countries
workers including China, Russia, and the U.S. are
developing autonomous weapon systems. These
could lose systems don’t need human direction to attack
their jobs to targets. Scientists say these so-called “killer
automation robots” don’t exist yet. But an alarming story
made the news in 2020: A military drone that
by 2030. attacked soldiers in Libya’s civil war may have
done so without human control, according to a
report commissioned by the United Nations.
 But that doesn’t mean that robots are going to
make life-and-death decisions someday. Advocacy
groups are pushing for international laws to make
sure that humans stay in control. For example,
the global Campaign to Stop Killer Robots has
supporters in more than 60 countries fighting for
limits around the world.
Many A.I. researchers are also starting to
consider the ethics of their work, Callas notes.
Experts say that’s important because the
technology could benefit society if it’s used
thoughtfully.
But to enjoy all the benefits of A.I., humanity
will need to address the concerns about it. Experts
say it would help if the teams working on new
technology were more diverse. And many would
also like to see laws or regulations put in place
that restrict how A.I. can be used.
Some governments have already begun
thinking through how to handle the situation.
In April 2021, the European Union proposed
rules banning some uses of A.I. and regulating
others. The U.S. has also started grappling with
basic standards. Last year, the Federal Trade
Commission warned against the sale of A.I.
systems that use racially biased algorithms
or ones that could deny people employment,
housing, credit, insurance, or other benefits. Some
states, including California and Washington, have
also introduced bills to target algorithmic bias.
Many young people are trying to make positive
The U.S. change too (see “Fighting for Fair A.I.,” below).
has begun Some A.I. researchers argue that governments
will need to partner with tech companies to
grappling create laws that are truly effective.
with A.I. “The people who’re making the decisions
regulations. don’t necessarily understand the ins and outs of
the technology,” Luccioni, the researcher, says.
The current attempts to regulate A.I. are “a good
idea, but there should be more effort to put
scientists on the policy committees and get policy
people to understand the technology. There’s a
gap to be bridged.” •
With additional reporting by Shira Ovide and Kevin
Roose of The New York Times.

A group of youth activists wants to have a say in the future of artificial intelligence
In 2020, Sneha Revanur,
a high school student in San
Jose, California, found out
her state was contemplating
a controversial ballot
measure. If it passed, judges
would determine whether to
hold someone in jail before Sneha Revanur
their court date by using leads a virtual workshop
risk-assessment software on A.I. ethics.
to predict whether a person
was likely to show up for
court or get arrested again.
Sneha, now 17, was ‘We’re the teaching virtual workshops on activists to get involved.
concerned that this would
contribute to racial biases.
generation most A.I. ethics to more than 3,000
high school students. A.I.
“We’re the generation most
directly impacted by these
She began working with directly impacted.’ isn’t inherently evil, members technologies and also the
other teens who opposed the argue, but it needs to be well- generation that has the least
legislation, raising awareness as Encode Justice, to begin regulated and created by a say in how they’re developed
in their community through pushing for more ethical A.I. diverse workforce. or regulated,” she says. “If
informational sessions, social all over the world. Since then, “If these algorithms were we don’t have a seat at the
media posts, and more. the group has grown to more programmed for good, they table, we don’t have input in
The measure was than 300 members in 25 could be used for good,” how these technologies—that
ultimately defeated—and the countries, doing everything Sneha says. are going to shape our entire
experience encouraged the from lobbying politicians She also believes it’s reality—are being used and
group, which became known about facial recognition to especially important for youth developed.”

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