Relevance: GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Key phrases: AI, Machine learning, Natural language processing, Data and Privacy, Ethical governance, US-India AI Initiative, AI portal, RAISE 2020.

Why in News?

• Future of work, data and privacy, ethical governance, and human values co-existing with AI may become big challenges.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

• Artificial Intelligence is an emerging technology that facilitates intelligence and human capabilities of sense, comprehend, and act with the use of machines.
• The historical evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) dates back to the year 1996 when Deep Blue AI defeated the then world chess champion. Garry Kasparov.
• The year 2019 witnessed geopolitical paradigm where there was a race for technological supremacy between superpowers. It is estimated that by 2034-40, 50 per cent of the jobs would be automated in United States i.e.; within the next 15 years.

Application of AI: AI high end applications may be broadly categorised into three parts — firstly, machine learning; secondly, natural language processing; and thirdly, predictive analytics.

• Machine learning finds key relevance in fraud detection and surveillance which may include pedestrian detection and traffic light control, automatic license plate reading for access control, for public safety. The facial recognition technology coupled with crime-busting is another revolutionary application which provides for twenty-four hours of image processing across various sectors.
• As far as ‘natural language processing’ is concerned, its market is set to grow to $22.3 billion by 2025 with wide ranging application across customer service, healthcare documentation and voice-control environments.
• The predictive analysis of AI finds its relevance in areas such as hyper-personalised marketing, social impact marketing, wherein, the same may be helpful for diabetes prevention, educating anti-vaccine communities, targeting child pornographers, safe sex and condom usage etc.

Challenges of AI to Policy Makers:

However, the key question is the challenges of AI to policy makers which may result in large scale disruption causing shifts in society. The three board issues for consideration in this regard may be (a) The future of work, (b) Data and privacy, and (c) Ethical governance.

Work redefined

• The concept of workplace may also be redefined with the advent of AI with the definition of workplace incorporating global platform with 24/7 concept, work at home as also freelancers, resulting in reduction of office buildings, increase in small office home office (SOHO) which is similar to the practices in retail industry. AI may also have ‘labour’ implications resulting in job displacement wherein studies reveals that application of one robot may displace 6.2 workers.
• Fifty one per cent of the jobs in OECD countries may be automated as estimated by the World Bank and 47 per cent of employment in the US may be at risk as predicted by University of Oxford. The net labour force implications may be job growth for better educated and skilled personnel coupled with lowest employment rates for the blue-collar workers.
• The social implications of AI include redefining the concept of social safety nets, social investment stipends based on social productivity as suggested by AI expert Lee Kai-Fu, due to proposed challenges on social values like love and compassion with the advent of AI.

Financial implications:

• The financial implications on the other hand may be the emergence of new frameworks of taxation skewed towards company tax with less individual taxes. The interesting question that needs to be studied is of how to tax robots and freelancers. The legal implications may be that if AI is wrong, who is to be blamed; whether the human expert or the company who bought it or the developer or the programmer? The code of ethics for professional robotics engineers subject to research and application in European Union may be relevant in this regard.
• The Universal Basic Income concept as floated by Lee Kai-Fu may be interesting in this context. The key dilemma in this context for the developing countries may be limited financial resources, more unskilled workers coupled with higher unemployment for blue collar workers, which may aggravate poverty issues.

Data and Privacy:

• The protection of personal data in the AI environment may be a serious challenge wherein there may be trade-off between privacy and prosperity. The General Data Protection Regulation in European Union, the sectoral and state laws in US and cybersecurity law in China may be taken as the basis for policy formulation.

Ethical governance:

• The ethical considerations and governance issues of AI may be redefining regulations and governance with focus on fairness, safety, reliability, privacy, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.
• The future considerations of governments with the advent of AI may be its challenges to political legitimacy, redefinition of the social contract and its implementation in the government. The challenges to political legitimacy may revolve around government versus private companies as central provider of solutions, increasing dissonance in citizens on issues like privacy, data and digital rights, requiring legitimacy of the technology in the implementation of AI in government functions, etc.
• The redefinition of the social contract may involve the role of government and its regulations, economic well-being to social well-being, e-legitimacy of AI with consensus and socially accepted purpose, Constitution based on new shared principles, etc.

Way forward:

• India’s unique challenges and aspirations, combined with the advancement in AI and a desire to assume leadership in this nascent technology means India’s approach towards AI strategy has to be balanced for both local needs and greater good. The way forward for India in AI has to factor in our current strengths in AI, or a lack thereof and thus requires large scale transformational interventions, primarily led by the government, with private sector providing able support.
• The possible biases and misuse in the AI make it more contingent to subject it to human intelligence. The augmented intelligence of humans is the best bet to harness the potential of AI. The need of the hour is, therefore, to enhance the capabilities of human beings with the support of these intelligent machines while remaining vigilant to possible ill-effects.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. Discuss the key challenges Advent of AI in India and measures to Harness the Power of AI. Critically Analyse.