Book Notes: AI by Design: A Plan for Living with Artificial Intelligence

 

AI by Design: A Plan for Living with Artificial Intelligence by Catriona Campbell. New York, NY: CRC Press, 2022. 164 pp.

In this book, Catriona Campbell introduces the reader to the main issues surrounding the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the present and future. The author makes use of her background in behavioural psychology to examine the various dimensions relevant to the use and development of AI, especially Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Presently, the form of AI that we are familiar with is the narrow form. However, the aim of making AGI, which is exponentially more potent than narrow AI and can possibly reshape the world and humanity in imaginable ways.

In the book, in addition to examining the current state of AI, the author also present possible future scenarios with AI, in particular when the Singularity – the situation in which machines have become so advanced that they exceed human beings in power and intelligence and can act autonomously without human direction – becomes a reality. After reviewing the current state of AI governence and regulation, and the ethical issues connected with AI, the author proposes a general plan that would promote peaceful and beneficial co-existence with AI. The author’s “roadmap” for living with AI includes:

 * Creating an overall vision for an AGI future. The author believes that there is still enough time to do so. If we choose to grow with AI, we must decide how to select the best possible futre for humanity.

 * Creating principles and standards using broad-ranging multi-stakeholder groups. The Campbell emphasizes that there needs to be an appropriate mix of representatives from different sectors, especially those whose voice are not often included, in order to arrive at the best solutions.

 * Improving the technical knowledge of policy makers. Policy makers cannot institute effective regulations if they lack technical literacy.

 * Making AI less bias. In this effort, attention has to be placed on the better education of AI engineers whose programming greatly affects the functioning of AI.

 * Controlling AI by risk management and auditing.

 * Policing AI to prevent misuse and protect people from harm.

 * Creating a treaty for laws similar to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This would prevent the misuse of AI “killer robots” in international conflicts.

 * Educating the world to understand and to work alongside AI.

 * Reskilling the exiting workforce. People need to start aiming for a future away from the traditional careers towards new jobs created by the new milieu.

 * Managing economic conseuqnces of artificial intelligence.

 * Funding the jobs gap.

With these ideas, the author believes that humanity can conscientiously “design” its path towards successfully living with AI instead of arriving to this new milieu blindly, which can prove to be catastrophic.