A global technological revolution is taking place in the world – artificial intelligence (AI) is developing at a tremendous pace. He is already here, and the world is looking with interest at his expansion, instead of figuring out what is happening and what the consequences may be. As a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, I make daily decisions about investing, developing, and implementing AI. And I would like to share my thoughts on a number of ethical aspects of AI that my colleagues and I often consider.
Artificial intelligence is not robots from science fiction films that have consciousness. AI is already widespread, while it is not worth waiting for robots to appear everywhere. Today, AI is simply the application of a suitable set of algorithms to computational problems to achieve a certain result. Every time the security camera recognizes a face, the bot shows us an advertisement or the GPS navigator’s instructions adapt to traffic conditions and traffic jams, AI algorithms work. However, these algorithms do not know that they are being improved, optimized, and trained. There is no “I” in them to realize anything. Siri has no memories and no personality. It’s just an equation that can set itself up and respond to our questions.
Artificial intelligence is already changing the labor market dramatically, and the wave of such changes will intensify. About 14% of the global workforce will be cut in the next decade. 500 million people are about to lose their jobs – this is more than the combined labor force of Russia, the EU and the United States. AI has already begun to move up the value chain of the workforce, replacing workers with increasingly high qualifications. Today, even drivers and sailors are already endangered species. By the way, teachers and operators of telecentres work by inertia, their time is coming to an end.
Is it good or bad? On the one hand, it is thanks to work that millions of people provide for their needs, save money for retirement, raise, educate and pamper children. Work is important psychologically. On the other hand, isn’t freeing people from routine or hard work a long-held dream of humanity? Does anyone imagine digging trenches in paradise?
