Topic I'm Afraid I Can't Do That, Dave: AI & Society
GOTO Berlin 2018

C 01 & B 05 - B 06

Topic Description

Artificial Intelligence is catapulting us into the world of science fiction at a startling rate. AI has already proven to be a useful tool in many areas that humans are not ideally suited to, such as drawing insights from vast amounts of data. But while it’s easy to get caught up in the dream of AI removing drudgery from everyday life and propelling humanity to greater heights, we must not forget that technology also has flaws and can have a darker side. This topic will examine this opposite side of the spectrum. Everyone has heard the “AI gone wrong” stories in the news – from harmless and amusing reports of misunderstood voice commands, through potentially serious glitches in facial recognition, to serious and life-threatening issues like self-driving cars causing fatalities. When designing AI, our models must consider factors that extended far beyond the purely technical – and knowing just how serious the consequences can be, how can we trust these models? What would an AI-first future look like? What should we as a society consider when taking this giant leap into the unknown?

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