Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) holds the keys to unlocking a future of unconceivable prosperity for humankind: it may dramatically boost the performance of economies and provide unprecedented opportunities for citizens, companies, and the public sector. It may also advance our ability to address humanity’s challenges, such as providing effective tools for disaster control, a weapon against climate change, or a cure for diseases like cancer. But AI also conceals the potential for a future at the other end of the spectrum. A future where citizens of dystopian societies undergo permanent monitoring for the way they behave or could behave. Where discriminatory treatment is a norm and fundamental rights are systematically ignored. A society where the gap between the haves and have-nots becomes unbridgeable. The role of public policy in the AI space is thus extremely important. Public policy can create the conditions for humanity to get the most out of AI while steering it away from the dystopian future, popularly depicted in science fiction books or films, by designing appropriate ethical and legal frameworks to protect society’s core values.