Who's afraid of artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence has created huge expectations for the future of the economic system, the labour market, mobility and day-to-day life. At the same time over and above concerns about data protection and cyber security, fears are growing that robots could replace people. Commentators in Europe look at how AI can be developed in such a way that everyone can benefit.
AI must serve the public good
Developers and suppliers of AI technologies must work together to overcome people's distrust, demands Stéphane Negre, director of Intel France, in Les Echos:
“The demystification of artificial intelligence is becoming a necessity to convince the public of its advantages. ... The challenge consists in making it clear that artificial intelligence is a technology that is not beyond humans but complements them. Artificial intelligence must serve the public good. Thanks to the collaboration of all the players and the establishment of national and international rules it can be useful to society as a whole. So all the agents in this sector must contribute to creating a climate of trust that promotes their development, as well as a positive perception of them on the part of society.”
Robotised journalism is the wrong approach
Around 3,000 jobs have disappeared in the media sector in the US alone this year due to the advance of artificial intelligence, according to Delo. The paper points out:
“We need educated individuals who are capable of critical thinking, complex sentences, honest interpersonal interactions and empathy. All these things can't be replaced by dry information, algorithms or so-called objectivity. At a time when people are increasingly looking for opinions that reaffirm their own conviction that those who they hate (for whatever reason) are even worse than they had believed, this is perhaps not the worst argument against robotised journalism.”
Decisive for the economy and geopolitics
Artificial intelligence is becoming a geopolitical factor, warns Roberto Baldoni, Deputy Director General of Italy's Information Security Department, in La Stampa:
“The digital transformation has irreversibly changed ever larger sections of our public and private life, of our society. ... This inevitably has a social impact and increases the risk of cyber attacks. ... With quantum computers for computing power and 5G for networks, AI has become a geopolitical element of strategic importance, above all for the United States and China. The most advanced nations are working out multi-dimensional strategies to position themselves in this sector. Because their economic and geopolitical future depends on it.”