AI’s impact could worsen gaps between world’s rich and poor, a UN report says
By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK AP Behind the hoopla over the promise of artificial intelligence lay hard realities including how such equipment might affect people already disadvantaged in a data-driven world Related Articles How to prepare for the next regime shutdown Wall Street holds stronger as bond yields and bitcoin stabilize Michael and Susan Dell pump B into Trump accounts for children Bitcoin bites the dust Here s why everyone s talking about a K-shaped financial sector A new description by the United Nations Improvement Campaign notes preponderance of the gains from AI are likely to be reaped by wealthy nations unless policies are taken to use its power to help close gaps in access to basic necessities as well as such advanced know-how The record circulated Tuesday likens the situation to the Great Divergence of the industrial revolution when a multitude of Western countries saw rapid modernization while others fell behind Questions over how companies and other institutions will use AI are a near universal concern given its prospective to change or replace chosen jobs done by people with computers and robots But while much of the attention devoted to AI focuses on productivity competitiveness and increase the more major question is what it will mean for human lives the authors note We tend to overemphasize the role of machinery disclosed Michael Muthukrishna of the London School of Economics the record s main author recounted reporters We need to ensure it s not hardware first but it s people first he revealed speaking by video at the record s launch in Bangkok The exposure of exclusion is an issue for communities where the greater part people are still struggling to access skills electric power and internet connectivity for older people for people displaced by war civil conflict and conditions disasters At the same time such people may be invisible in records that will not take them into account the review reported As a general-purpose device AI can lift productivity spark new industries and help latecomers catch up the assessment says Better advice on farming analysis of X-rays within seconds and faster biological diagnoses more effective weather forecasts and damage assessments hold promise for rural communities and areas prone to natural disasters AI systems that analyze poverty physical condition and accident risks enable faster fairer and more transparent decisions turning material into continuous learning and masses value it says Still even in wealthy nations like the United States the foreseen for information centers to devour too large a share of electricity and water has raised concerns Ramping up power generation to meet higher demand may hinder progress in limiting the emissions of carbon from burning fossil fuels that contribute to global warming while also causing fitness hazards The hardware raises ethical privacy and cybersecurity concerns researchers have detected hackers using AI to automate portions of cyberattacks There also is the complication of deepfakes that can misinform or facilitate criminal activity Asian nations including China Japan South Korea and Singapore are well placed to take advantage of AI tools the summary notes while places like Afghanistan the Maldives and Myanmar lack skills reliable power and other information needed to tap into the computing possible of AI Inequalities between regions within countries mean certain places even in advanced economies are prone to be left behind About a quarter of the Asia-Pacific region lacks online access the overview says If such gaps are not closed countless millions may be excluded from the kinds of devices digital payment systems digital IDs and instruction and skills that are required to participate fully in the global business sector falling further behind disclosed Philip Schellekens the UNDP s chief economist for the Asia Pacific Other risks include misinformation and disinformation surveillance that violates rights to privacy and systems that can act as black boxes reinforcing biases against minorities or other groups So transparency and effective regulations are crucial guardrails for ensuring AI is used in fair and accountable options he announced We believe we need more balance less hysteria and hype Schellekens disclosed AI is becoming essential for modern life like electricity roads and now the internet so governments need to invest more in digital infrastructure learning and training fair competition and social protections the statement says The goal it says is to democratize access to AI so that every country and district can benefit while protecting those bulk at liability from disruption
