AI and Social Impacts

Published in

The Global Voice

4 min readNov 4, 2017

Humans and robots can work together in changing the world to a more just, productive future.

AI has proven to us humans that this field has lots of potential. AI has exponentially grew into a bountiful, blooming field full of innovations and help. However, major leaders in the tech industry, like Elon Musk or Stephen Hawking, says to be beware. They say that we need to control AI so to not fulfill the media’s portrayal of robots that would destroy us for creating them. While some of their points are indeed valid, I would so kindly like to point out that the media has almost over exaggerated the downfalls of AI, and the such.

AI has almost been a boon given to us, like the revolutionary devices today that ease and simplify our lives. Many people that I have talked to have mentioned unemployment rates going up after AI had been integrated into the corporate workspace. But I do believe that this is a misleading fact. Yes, it will take away some jobs, but give more in return. AI can aid both machine and human workers in being more productive and getting more stuff done precisely.

Plus, AI is a technology, like so many of its predecessors before us, can integrate quietly in society. Think about it. When the computer was introduced, many people around the world thought that their jobs were going to be gone thanks to a big, boxy machine with information in the form of binary going through it. Today, the computer has brought forth new opportunities for work, and advancement. Similar stories for many other fields, such as the healthcare and transportation field, followed suit.

Sophia is the first robot granted full citizenship, by Saudi Arabia.

But, I agree that AI does indeed have some flaws with it (as it is an emerging state), depending on who is using it and for what purpose. A few weeks ago, Sophia was the first AI robot to be given full citizenship from Saudi Arabia (Does robots have social security now?). However, many women were indignant, saying that the robot (who is not human) was given more rights than women in Saudi Arabia, which have been fighting for the same rights for decades. This issue could be from a governmental incentive for more foreign investors, or a prolonged regional social injustice. But this has nothing related to AI itself. AI has also brought many features that we don’t see to its full extent; for example, Apple’s Siri, Google Translate, Amazon’s Alexa, and so much more.

Google Home and the Amazon Echo are just two of many examples of positive impacts of AI.

AI can also be used in alleviating social issues in developing countries. In China, many companies want to solve the problem of productivity China’s emerging labour market, to be a leader in the field. India can use this technology to aid their “Clean India” national campaign, in public sanitation, healthcare, education, and environmental awareness about global warming. The US can use this technology to improve border security systems (who knows, they could be already using that!).

AI needs better regulations and constant approval in order to control the intelligence coming in from all sides. We need to create committees full of qualified persons (similar to the FDA), positive portrayal of this technology in movies and news outlets, and regulations clearly stating what security and intelligence measures need to be taken in order to have a prosperous field with clear objectives but unclear paths, to muddle our way through failures and hardships, to truly achieve AI as a helping hand to the good of humanity.

I believe this artificial intelligence is going to be our partner. If we misuse it, it will be a risk. If we use it right, it can be our partner. — Masayoshi Son

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AI and Social Impacts

Written by Madhumitha Manivannan