"I have seen things you would not believe. Ships burning beyond Orion," and so on. The quote from the replicant Roy Batty in the 1982 film Blade Runner remains one of the most disturbing in cinematic history, in part because it represents an old fear of humanity: that our worst nightmares are the reverse side of the coin of having succeeded in making our desires come true. In this case, an artificial intelligence capable of imitating humans. It could be said that the prediction of Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples (original writers), for this very 2019, is still far from being fulfilled. Or maybe it's not so far off.
In a prestigious publication such as Strategy+Business, we have recently come across a jewel regarding Artificial Intelligence, perhaps the sharpest and most pointed step in the Digital Transformation processes that we are witnessing every day. Not surprisingly, it comes signed by the global leader in the field of a firm as renowned as PwC, Anand Rao. The text is an in-depth review of the extent to which AI (or AI for short) is a vector of growth, but also of concerns, of unprecedented proportions.
Specifically, and in a macroeconomic scenario that predicts a downturn in the medium-term future, Rao believes that AI has the potential to increase global GDP by around 14 percent by the year 2030, which in figures would be as much as infusing 15.7 trillion dollars into the world economy. That is, a 15, followed by a 7, followed by twelve zeros. In other words, and to fully understand, the equivalent of three quarters of the US GDP in 2017; or more than 10 times the entire Spanish GDP in the same year. So it seems that those who do not care about claiming "their share of the cake" will be doing badly; Spain, by the way, is not among the more than 20 countries that already have a national strategic plan in this regard... although some drafts are underway.
"Artificial intelligence (AI) presents an unlimited opportunity, but not without potential risks and pitfalls," says the author. A paradox that comes into play because two crucial aspects for "Western democracies" are at stake. On the one hand, giving national companies an advantage over competitors; on the other hand, protecting citizens by using artificial intelligence for the social good. It is a "yes but no", a support for innovation while seeking to control the impact of technologies on society.
"Overall, these new policies describe how governments plan to foster the development of artificial intelligence to encourage domestic companies to develop solutions that will increase GDP and deliver a host of societal benefits. At the same time, they address questions about security, privacy, transparency and ethics." In this regard, it is worth mentioning the study prepared by the consultancy itself on the detrimental social and environmental effects of AI, as well as its projection on the foreseeable economic impact. It is not that states are confused about this. It's that any company, agency or institution glimpsing the phenomenon has every reason to try to clarify the horizon. "Perhaps no other emerging technology has inspired so much scrutiny and discussion."
Therefore, national artificial intelligence policies have an important journey ahead of them. Not only are they tasked with increasing domestic competitiveness and helping companies succeed, but they must also be geared to address certain concerns that are considered key. This is something that is present in the day-to-day lives of more and more companies that choose to go hand-in-hand with AI, and for that very reason are in need of government action as a guide when it comes to mitigating these risks. "For example, they can help ensure accuracy and manage bias in AI systems and figure out how to deal with the consequences of human job losses due to increased automation," says the consulting executive.
The imperative is unavoidable, and we can find it in documents such as the 22nd Global CEO Survey, which is another of PwC's reports that deserve a quiet and calm reading. It stipulates that 17 out of 20 top executives agree that AI "will significantly change the way they do business in the next five years", and it is something that for most respondents will bring benefits to society. For the same reason, more than two-thirds believe that governments should play "a fundamental and integral role in the development of IA".
"The androids were helplessly agitated when faced with the empathy measurement test. It was obvious that empathy was only to be found in the human community." Quote from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the novel that partially inspired Blade Runner.
Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash
