We can safely say that artificial intelligence (AI) was certainly one of the buzzwords of 2023. Initially developed for sophisticated, enterprise applications that enabled businesses to analyse data and increase revenue, we are now witnessing the democratisation of AI. This trend comes with its own set of challenges and emphasises the need for strong AI systems and effective data management.
Generative AI, in particular, a technology with enormous potential, brings new risks. Business leaders, lawmakers and politicians came together at the first AI Safety Summit in November 2023 to understand the broader implications of this technology, acknowledge the aspirations of pioneering AI safety, and take proactive measures to address future concerns.
Navigating Future AI Concerns: A Tripartite Approach
In this section, we will explore three fundamental areas essential for addressing future concerns related to AI. These areas encompass the ethical and responsible use of AI, tackling issues of data quality and integrity with data products, and promoting collaboration in AI development. By examining these aspects, we aim to provide insights and strategies that can help steer AI technologies towards a more secure and promising future.
- Ethical and responsible use of AI
AI grapples with the Collingridge dilemma – the challenge of introducing novel innovations without fully anticipating their long-term societal impacts. Similar situations have arisen with previous technological revolutions such as computers, mobile phones, and the internet. However, AI presents a unique complexity as it becomes deeply ingrained in our daily lives and cannot easily be ‘switched off.’
To mitigate these societal consequences, we must distinguish between ethical AI and responsible AI. Ethical AI prompts us to ask, “Are we pursuing the right actions?” while responsible AI focuses on how to execute them correctly. The challenge lies in the fact that ethics and responsibility often diverge. The technical community is severely under-represented at the governmental level, resulting in a limited understanding of how organisations can implement AI safely. Without transparency and a comprehensive understanding, it becomes impossible to give an accurate assessment of AI’s impact on society at large.
To proactively lay the groundwork for trust and responsibility, technology leaders must incorporate ethical and responsible considerations into the AI development process. This practice is essential, even when the future applications of AI remain uncertain, to ensure that AI contributes more to the moral betterment of society than harm. - Data products: empowering AI success
Poor-quality training data can limit the successful adoption of AI, with biases occurring when the AI is fed dirty or low-quality, which then affects all of the AI’s outputs. For organisations, this could lead to inaccurate predictions and decisions, or even damage to the company’s reputation when biased algorithms based on gender, race, or other biases lead to harmful consequences for those affected. However, AI can also provide a solution to this problem. AI-powered data products (clean, curated, continuously updated data sets, aligned to key business entities) improve low-quality data by recognising and correcting errors. Data products fill gaps in data, remove duplicates, and ensure data correctness and consistency, maintaining accurate and reliable data. They can also integrate data from various sources to streamline manual or traditional data cleaning processes. To harness the full potential of AI technology, business leaders need to prioritise strategies for creating clean training data. AI algorithms learn from data; they identify patterns, make decisions, and generate predictions based on the information they’re fed. Clean, curated data truly serves as the foundation for any successful AI application. Additionally, with humans acting as supervisors to AI that powers data products, there will be strengthened data quality resulting in sharper and more precise systems.
A critical factor in the success of AI projects is the role of a data product owner or manager. This individual is tasked with overseeing the development and ensuring the successful implementation of data products as part of a broader data strategy. The data product owner holds a unique position – they must comprehend the intricate details of the data, understand the business’s needs, and have a vision for how the two can best intertwine. Clean training data is the backbone of AI, and a dedicated manager ensures not only high-quality data but also alignment with strategic business objectives. Consequently, the data product owner becomes an essential bridge between the technological possibilities of AI and the practicalities of business strategy, ultimately driving the successful application of AI within the organisation. - Collaboration in AI development
Effective collaboration in AI development serves as a fundamental pillar for its successful, ethical, and responsible deployment. This collaborative approach offers a multifaceted perspective on the creation and implementation of AI technologies, guaranteeing that these tools incorporate an awareness of a broad spectrum of social, cultural, and ethical considerations.
The significance of collaboration between businesses and governments in AI governance cannot be overstated. This synergy is essential for several key reasons. First and foremost, governments play a pivotal role in establishing regulatory frameworks and policies that govern AI. Through collaboration, businesses and governments can work together to strike a balance between encouraging innovation and safeguarding the rights and safety of individuals. This collaborative approach culminates in the formulation of responsible AI guidelines that benefit society at large.
Moreover, AI systems heavily rely on vast datasets, often comprising sensitive or personal information. Collaboration ensures that businesses adhere to data privacy laws and cybersecurity standards set by governments, aligning their practices with legal requirements. This alignment, in turn, safeguards the privacy rights of individuals and protects against data breaches and misuse.
Ethical considerations hold paramount importance in the realm of AI, encompassing principles like fairness, transparency, and accountability. Collaborative efforts facilitate the early identification and resolution of ethical concerns during the development phase, reducing the likelihood of biased or discriminatory AI outcomes. Additionally, governments can contribute resources, funding, and expertise to support AI research and development. Collaboration allows businesses to tap into these valuable resources, accelerating innovation in the field of AI and ensuring that the benefits of AI technologies extend to society as a whole.
AI operates on a global scale, underscoring the need for cross-border cooperation. Governments and businesses collaborating can harmonise AI standards, ensuring that AI technologies are not only interoperable but also adhere to consistent ethical and technical guidelines on a global scale.
By harnessing the diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences of individuals from various disciplines, including data science, ethics, law, and sociology, we can develop AI systems that are not just technologically robust but also ethically sound. These collaborative endeavours foster transparency, accountability, and fairness in AI systems, mitigating biases and promoting equitable outcomes.
Shaping the future of AI
As we move into a future increasingly dominated by AI, the paths we take today will shape the societal impact of this powerful technology. Rather than viewing the challenges associated with AI not as roadblocks, we should see them as opportunities to foster ethical innovation, ensure data integrity, and promote collaboration. By doing so, we can harness the immense potential of this technology while effectively mitigating its risks. The collective responsibility for achieving this balance rests with technology leaders, businesses, governments, and society at large. Together, we must guide AI development in a direction that aligns with ethical norms, upholds data quality and reliability, and encourages broad collaboration. In this way, AI will continue to serve as a driving force for positive transformation and societal progress.
Suki Dhuphar is the Head of International Business at Tamr, bringing extensive expertise in building and scaling enterprise software companies in EMEA. With a twenty-plus-year career, Suki joined Tamr as Head of Customer Success and has since played a pivotal role in driving the company's success internationally. Before Tamr, Suki was General Manager for EMEA at Lavastorm, establishing the company's Data and Analytics platform programs across verticals, including Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, and Healthcare, resulting in exceptional revenue growth. Suki has held key roles, including CMO, Sales Leadership, and General Manager Roles in his previous organization.