Ethics and sustainability need to ride high on the AI agenda
Artificial Intelligence leader SenseTime advocates fairness, and ethical and sustainable use of the technology.
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There is no doubt that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is capable of unleashing untapped potential in businesses, economies and our lives. On one hand, the high degree of smart decision-making and automation is rapidly transforming traditional industries. On the other, the nature of AI development is expanding the boundaries of fundamental scientific research to enable new value creation, support new ideas and foster new business models.
A case in point is China, where AI technology is being harnessed to accelerate the efficient use and distribution of resources amid rapid digitalisation across the country. A fast-growing population in a city result in competition for resources, which can directly impact on the quality of life for its residents. Such resources include education, healthcare, and other public services. Considering 68 per cent of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050 according to the United Nations, this is a challenge which urban planners must address today.
As AI continues to rapidly evolve, it begs the question of how it can be harnessed for the greater good, and importantly, not fall into the mercy of abuse or misuse. Ethics clearly has a role but without guiding principles, it becomes nothing more than just a concept.
China’s National Governance Committee for the New Generation Artificial Intelligence advocated developing responsible AI in 2019, including eight tenets, namely harmony and friendliness, fairness and justice, inclusiveness and sharing, respect for privacy, security and controllability, shared responsibilities, open cooperation, and agile governance. In many ways these parallel proposed principles come from SenseTime, a leading global AI software company headquartered in Hong Kong.
Speaking at 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the world’s flagship AI conference, SenseTime’s co-founder and CEO, Xu Li, shared his views on the importance of promoting fairness in AI applications.