By Durvesh Yadav, Founder and CEO, Rising Star Communication
From streamlining business operations to assisting in decision making to providing a personalised user experience to consumers, AI and machine learning are the rising stars of every industry. The promising efficiency, ease, and benefits that this technology brings are being welcomed by all conglomerates with open arms, heralding a tech-driven industrial revolution. However, just as every light casts a shadow, artificial intelligence raises serious ethical concerns in the business world, across all sectors. Several instances of gender bias, safety, and privacy concerns, in addition to skepticism about the reliability of outcomes, highlight the need for a comprehensive impact assessment and stricter regulations.
Social implications
About a half-decade ago, Amazon made headlines for a not-so-good reason: its AI-powered recruiting engine’s algorithm had a major bias against women candidates given that it was based on data gathered from a heavily male-dominated industry, revealing that these algorithmic decisions may have unjustified negative consequences or even violate human rights. Another incident involved Microsoft Tay, whose algorithm appeared to have assimilated not only the language of X (previously Twitter) users but also Nazi ideology. Thus, while AI might seem to be objective in decision-making, it is also susceptible to the personal biases of its users, trainers, and creators, which can reinforce stereotypes, stigmas, and inequalities.
When AI decides who is hired, promoted, or given a loan, the content that reaches people, including newspapers, can have far-reaching social consequences, giving businesses the ability to drive change while also influencing public perceptions. Thus, businesses should consider AI tools only for assistance whose usage requires closed monitoring of their inherent biases, rather than a replacement for human rationale and creativity.
Accuracy and reliability
Content is something that every business depends on in an economy dominated by the Internet of Things. Its practically impossible to grow without a strong digital presence with streamlined content. And today, AI is assisting content creators in researching and writing to save time. However, it is important to remember that AI references existing information across platforms with an unbiased approach. This points to a huge paradox where biased and unbiased content are given the same amount of consideration to produce content that can harbour individual biases. In other words, just as the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, the standard AI is the function of the standard content. Thus, to be reliable, accurate, and, most importantly, original, businesses should value the human creativity each employee brings.
The dilemma of Unemployment and rising inequality
A new era in industrial operations is being heralded by the rapid diffusion of technology, driven by the enormous amount of data available and automation. However, it also threatens unemployment for many professionals and blue-collar workers. For instance, it is undeniable that AI-assisted customer care services have reduced employment at call centres. AI machine learning increases productivity by reducing the time and human labour required for work, so workers might be able to do more work. However, this also implies that a project that gives employment to a team of 3–4 people might just require 2 people to complete it in less time. Finding solutions to reconcile technological advancement with human employment, as well as retraining and upskilling employees whose roles are affected, are ethical considerations for every business.
Data privacy and transparency
User data is essential to AI’s operation, which poses a number of data privacy issues. To provide customers and clients with a personalized experience, a large amount of personal data, which can often be sensitive, must be gathered. Many have raised the moral requirement of informed consent when obtaining data. As a result, it becomes extremely important for companies to be transparent in their usage of AI and machine learning, entailing disclosure of the kind and nature of the data being gathered, its purpose and usage, and warranting accountability and prompt redress in the face of any adversity.
What began with the invention of a steam engine has today become a complex system of standard business operations. Undoubtedly, just like the steam engine, AI’s impact extends beyond businesses and the economy, causing profound and foundational changes in workplace and social relations in what many call the 4th industrial revolution. As it raises concerns about loss of job and alienation, it also opens opportunities for workers to free up their time, which was once spent on repetitive and clerical work, allowing for more devotion to family and leisure, besides focusing on productivity. It also prompts us to reflect and rethink our existing work norms and business organization.
The questions posed concerning the application of AI and machine learning in business are undoubtedly worthwhile to think about, even though we might not have the answers. However, we also need to keep in mind that artificial intelligence is just an algorithm developed by people. The human mind’s creativity cannot be taken away by a collection of algorithms.
