It's time to reckon with the seven ugly sins of artificial intelligence

Each of them poses a clear and present threat but the rise of AI shouldn't make us gloomy if the world manages to regulate it

- NILESH JASANI

Markets are roaring. So much so that beyond the cheers of bulls, all one hears are the roars of bubble callers. Globally, capital spending in technology is at record levels, thanks to the rise of AI. We are believers in innovation and think the long-term outcome will be positive. But faith cannot be blindness.

This is not a crisis of faith; it is a demand for sight. At today's valuations, ignoring risks would be the greater sin. To help track those risks, here are the 'seven deadly sins' of AI. Each is real, present and must be reckoned with.

Pride—Hubris of the machine age:

We have given the machine a voice. It speaks our language, and some believe it is beginning to form thoughts. The true sin is not this private belief, but the public performance of absolute certainty that leadership now seems to require. CEOs who once urged caution now preach revolution. As budgets for roads and hospitals are trimmed and non-AI private spending is pruned, much is being sacrificed at the altar of AI. Pride is the armour a leader must wear to justify all this. The danger is not failure itself, but the spectacle of it. Everyone knows innovation projects can fail. Autonomous driving will not be perfect for years. Chatbots will cause harm. Each mistake will be broadcast, litigated and used as a weapon by rivals. But the market does not reward nuance; it demands conviction. Those putting in billions must project a faith with no room for doubt. So every stumble will be called a fall and the leaders of this age will walk with a target pinned to their backs.

Greed—A mania that follows the money: