Artificial Intelligence is Not All Bad
Although I realize there are many concerns about the use of generative AI (e.g., Chat GPT), I also see how it can benefit society—with the appropriate safeguards.
On June 14, 2024, Arati Prabhakar, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), delivered an excellent presentation entitled “Harnessing AI to Achieve America’s Great Ambitions” that identified seven societal challenges where AI can respond to the needs of Americans. These include:
- AI for Health: New medicines for seemingly intractable diseases in months rather than decades
- AI for Education: Individualized learning to help every teacher help every student achieve their American dream.
- AI for Weather: Weather forecasts that save lives and protect property with neighborhood-level, longer lead projections that people across the country can count on.
- AI for Clean Energy: Flexible, reliable electrical grids that can meet our growing needs and further accelerate clean energy deployment.
- AI for Sustainable Materials: New high-performance, sustainable materials for globally competitive semiconductor manufacturing in years rather than decades.
- AI for Transportation: Transportation projects in every region of the country that save lives and keep America moving.
- AI for Government Services: Government services that reach all Americans right when they need them while rigorously protecting privacy.
Why is this important? Much of my work as a consultant has focused on West Virginia, one of several Appalachian states that faces innumerable societal challenges. The study I am working on right now intersects several of the policies above, focusing on concerns that insufficient transportation options are reducing the quality and quantity of healthcare received by West Virginians with chronic diseases.
We had an excellent stakeholder roundtable that generated valuable ideas, but what is the chief barrier to those advances? The same as for many societal challenges — insufficient government financial and human resources. West Virginia also has challenging terrain, weather conditions, internet availability, and limited transportation options of any kind. Much of the population that needs health services is older and technologically illiterate.
Science and technology policy that encourages rather than opposes AI is critical to responding to societal needs in a timely fashion. All technology, including AI, comes with risks, but President Biden has already signed an executive order to respond to those challenges, and an AI Bill of Rights is also in place.
As a policy analyst, I am used to assessing whether the risks outweigh the benefits. IMHO, the benefits outweigh the risks in this case when considering the country and the world’s disadvantaged populations. For those who think the risks outweigh the benefits, I encourage them to spend substantial time with the country’s disadvantaged population in rural areas with limited access to almost everything you can imagine.
This article is from my LinkedIn Inform and Influence S&T Policy Newsletter, which serves as a practical guide to the victories and struggles in Science and Technology Policy and how to make a difference. You can subscribe to it on LinkedIn.
