Only human-centred AI can charm humans to adopt it

The AI industry could learn from carmakers how to focus on the consumer and modify perceptions

- BIJU DOMINIC

The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a general-purpose technology has been compared to that of fire, the wheel, and electricity. But where will this far-reaching power take the world? In a positive direction or negative direction?

Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." There have always been a few people who have used technology for nefarious activities. So, with the invention of AI, it is natural that there will be some people who will use it for causing harm to humanity. Deepmind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman suggested that one of the best ways to mitigate the misuse of AI would be containment of the AI industry. A combination of technical, social, and legal mechanisms could be used to effectively control, limit and, if need be, close down AI technologies at any stage of their development or deployment.

AI offers us a future of unparalleled possibilities. A few weeks ago, Google DeepMind had announced that it had developed an AI-based weather forecasting system that is more accurate than the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts' (ECMWF) model, which so far has been the global benchmark in weather forecasting. This AI-based technology will go a long way in helping farmers, fishermen, and so on, so that they are better prepared for inclement weather and natural calamities.