3AI for Good
“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
“Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them.”
– Steve Jobs
WHEN TECH LUMINARIES such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk were warning against the dangers of AI,1 there was a reaction against this dismal view from several quarters, and the phrase AI for Good was born.
AI for Good is when artificial intelligence is harnessed to improve livelihoods and the environment. It can mean using AI to solve global problems, such as climate change, food security, and health. AI for Good exists not just as a concept; it is a movement driven by the conviction that AI has the potential to significantly benefit humanity.
We count fire and electricity as major milestones in the evolution of human society. It is tempting to believe that AI may soon join their ranks.2 Just as fire changed the course of our physical and cultural evolution by giving us warmth and a means to cook our food, and electricity propelled us into the information age and a new era of productivity, AI has the power to revolutionize our future in ways we can only imagine right now. It is a force that can propel us toward positive change, but also one that requires careful consideration and responsible action.
As we will see in later chapters, AI can also be misused and manipulated ...
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