The Dual Face of AI: A force for empowerment or a factor in hegemony?

Welcome to my concluding blog! As hinted in my earlier post, this blog is to share my thoughts about two YouTube broadcasts, nearly a decade apart, featuring Professor Geoffrey Hinton.The Code That Runs Our Lives(2016) ;‘Godfather of AI’ on AI “exceeding human intelligence” and it “trying to take over”(2024). 

I will analyse the key insights from his interviews, focusing on his vision and Artificial Intelligence(AI)’s future impacts concerning communication for development.

 

Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI,” has always been very optimistic about how AI can solve some very complex problems and make human life better. According to him, most of his efforts put into AI research were aimed at addressing technical challenges. His primary focus was on addressing issues related to the inefficiency and non-scalability of neural networks. With the growth in AI technology, Hinton’s thoughts and views have become increasingly focused on the risks linked with AI. 

Hinton has spoken about the possible risks of AI through the concept of autonomous weapons or AI being used to deceive and manipulate humans. He has been quoted as saying how deeply disturbed he is regarding a scenario where AI intelligence might go beyond human control and intelligence.His arguments have also touched on ethical concerns in the development of AI, especially on job loss and its potential misuse, though these points have not been emphasized prominently.

Interestingly, Hinton is of the view that the elimination of bias is less important than mitigating threats. According to him, bias has been a part of human evolution and will persist in AI also, but the effort should be towards mitigating threats.Additionally,he calls for international co-operation to  build consensus on the ethical use of AI, particularly, in military and defense contexts.

Communication for Development in the Age of AI:

Communication for development is an area that is continuously changing with media and technology advancements. Challenges, as in any paradigm shift as elaborated in the “Diffusion of Innovations Theory”, have always been present in production and adoption of AI technology. We live in a time when information and misinformation thrive together, when AI technologies are rapidly evolving, while many people are still at the mercy of basic needs like food security, shelter, and safety. Innovations are important, yet they tend to be perceived as products of capitalism. Capitalism and Innovation

Instead of marginalizing under-privileged populations, it becomes critical to involve them with ethical considerations in the creation of AI through participatory communication. AI can be used as a strong tool in empowering such communities. Several developing nations are already considering AI as an economic opportunity with initiatives such as AI in Africa ,whilst carefully addressing the ethical concerns surrounding it.AI as a Catalyst to Transform Economies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Whilst,we still don’t have any developed view of how the larger society collectively knows, learns and agrees on the knowledge produced through AI-based science.We Have No Satisfactory Social Epistemology of AI-Based Science Koskinen, Inkeri

This is where the debate really comes in, touching on the role of AI in society. 

Join the conversation and share your thoughts below. How do you see AI shaping our future? Is it a tool for empowerment or a catalyst for hegemony?

 

 

 

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REFERENCES:

Terborgh, G. W. (1950). Capitalism and Innovation. The American Economic Review, 40(2), 118–123. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1818032

Koskinen, I. (2023). We Have No Satisfactory Social Epistemology of AI-Based Science. Social Epistemology, 38(4), 458–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2023.2286253