What is artificial intelligence and what are the risks?

Artificial intelligence and automated decision-making bring not only benefits but also certain risks.

What is artificial intelligence and why can it be dangerous?

Learning algorithms can process vast amounts of information in a short amount of time, exceeding the capabilities of the human brain. Therefore, artificial intelligence-based applications are now being used in more and more areas. They are absent in finance, healthcare, education or law. However, relying only on them carries certain risks, especially if we let the algorithms make decisions without being supervised by a man of flesh and blood. Algorithms are learned from repetitive patterns, which they observe in the amount of data we feed them. The problem arises when this input data reflects the prejudices in our society.

When artificial intelligence decides you

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in so-called algorithmic decision systems (ADS). The effects of these decisions can sometimes be very serious, for example when a computer program decides whether you are eligible for a bank loan or treatment, whether they should take you to the job you are applying for, or whether or not to imprison you. If we algorithmically give the wrong data, they can learn to be "biased" just like us, copying our prejudices. For example, there are cases where jobseeker filtering programs have discriminated against women. Just like people do.

How to protect consumers in the age of artificial intelligence?

The development of artificial intelligence and automatic decision-making also raises the question of how not to lose consumer confidence. When customers come in contact with artificial intelligence, they should be clearly informed and informed about how it works.

Source: EP, 22.4.2020