Book Description

"This brief and accessible book draws lessons from the history and governance of three recent transformative technologies - the space race, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and the internet - to argue that society can and should take an active role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI). It is a manifesto aimed at empowering the reader to participate in the conversations and political and democratic processes that will determine the intentions of AI, what values and regulations should guide its development, and its future. Artificial intelligence affects most of us every day, from determining what news we read and music we listen to, to influencing credit scores and legal decisions. As computers become smarter, and the amount of data available to train sophisticated algorithms grows, these unprecedented abilities are coming to play an ever more central role in how our society functions. Yet, as important as this new technology is and will be, it is little understood outside of an unaccountable, insular, and hard-to-scrutinize tech community. Creators of AI-driven systems often operate quickly, at large scale, and without any clear sense of societal purpose or understanding of the diversity and complexity of the human condition. As these systems become increasingly powerful, figuring out what, and who, this technology is for is critical, if we want to ensure that advances in AI will advance us as a species, inspire us as a people, and support the delicate fabric of society. What values framework permeates this new technology, which will permeate our lives? What values are needed - to guide us into a future of which we can all be proud? By looking back, Harding shows that science and technology are clearly not neutral, but inherently political, dictated by the human values and preferences of their time. Recognizing this gives us cause for hope; democratic and political judgement can and must be applied to today's scientific breakthroughs, to ensure that the values we all hold dear - not just the values of a few - will guide us into the new frontier. In four thematically structured chapters, in which Harding connects her historical examples to current considerations about AI, the author argues that AI should be peaceful in its intent, embrace limitations, serve purpose not profit, and be rooted in societal trust. History tells us that we can imbue AI with a deep intentionality that aligns with our best and brightest ideals, interests, and values and that serves the public good - but, to make this happen, the public must take part in this conversation"--