What makes a bad actor?
Week of April 17, 2023
Hi Friends! I took last week off to prioritize studying for the LSAT, which I took last Friday. I’m sorry to have left you hanging, but I’m glad to be back with more weekly news about AI!
This week I’m walking through what makes a bad actor when it comes to those building, using and deploying AI.
What makes a bad actor?
People ask me one question on a regular basis. I can feel it coming in the conversation and I’m almost never surprised when it appears. “Do you think AI will take over the world?” It’s from this question that I usually launch into a well-worn patter: establish, contextualize, opine.
Establish.
I do think that AI will take over the world, but I think it’ll look different than what people fear. What people (usually) fear is that we will no longer control AI, and I hate to tell them that that’s what’s going to happen, and we’re already seeing it. We’re just not seeing it in the ways Sci-Fi movies and books told us we would see it, which is much more catastrophic because it means it will likely catch us off guard.
We’re not seeing “sentient AI” take over our processes and doing our dishes. But we are beginning to see how AI is being leveraged by others to further specific agendas. What we should fear the most is not the AI itself, but those who wield its power carelessly. Enter: the bad actor.
Contextualize.
The challenge with telling you who the “bad actor” is is that my perspective is biased. So is yours. So is the bad actors. We all move through the world perceiving things and making judgements about our experiences, people, etc. We judge good and bad. We judge healthy and unhealthy. Right and wrong. Order and chaos. Just and unjust. Our brains will regularly try to boil things down to a binary, and it’s an intentional effort to extend empathy and grace, and exist, even for a while, in the grey space between two clear “choices.” It’s this intentional effort that allows me to appreciate that Elon Musk has made some important contributions to the world, and also say that I disagree with his current perspective and approach to impacting humanity.
When trying to establish what a “bad actor” is, we need to consider the broad impact that AI is having and will have on humanity. This perspective will shape for each of us what we view as good and bad use of AI by humans.
Opine.
This is how I define “bad actors” in AI:
Bad actors in AI are those who build or leverage the technology in a way that intentionally brings financial, physical or mental harm to an individual, community or business.
I could list many of the ways I believe that AI is already being leveraged to harmful ends, but I’m not sure that list would do anyone any good. My suggestion to those wading into the depths of AI conversations is to be very cautious that you don’t get pulled deeper into the water by a riptide that you didn’t see.
Some questions to ask as you approach AI and its products:
Who made this AI, and who profits off of my use? How?
Is this AI broadly available to everyone? Why or why not?
If a mentally unstable person was using this AI, would I feel comforted or fearful for their safety? For others’ safety?
Is this AI creation (art, writing, etc.) intended to fool people by presenting an alternate version of reality?
Can everyone use this AI and feel safe and welcome doing so? If not, who was this AI built for, and why was it built that way?
I’m sure I’m missing some critical questions. If you have a perspective or something to add, please share in the comments.
This week’s business feature is Deep 6 AI. In their own words, Deep 6 AI “appl[ies] AI methods on structured AND unstructured patient data…the Deep 6 AI platform matches patients and sites to actual trial protocols in real time, all within a secure, HIPAA-compliant, collaborative environment. So, you can focus on bringing treatments to patients faster.” Their research software moves the worlds of science, medicine and research forward by connecting research teams, information and data in a safe and secure way that prioritizes the clinical work that needs to be done, while decreasing the lift on those conducting the trials. It’s a great company, and worth checking out!
And they’re hiring!
I regularly get asked how people can get into responsible AI, so here are some resources! I’ll keep adding to this list as I come across more information.
Responsible AI Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to helping organizations on their responsible AI journey. They provide awesome ways for their members to get connected through their Slack channel, get resources through their newsletter, and get invited to community events. Plus they’re a leader in responsible AI, so they’re a company to watch.
The Center for AI and Digital Policy offers policy clinics, and they look amazing. If you’re interested in AI policy, this might be for you! I’m hoping to apply for the Fall 2023 session.
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Do you need help on your responsible AI journey? Email me thepaigelord@gmail.com
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