Need For Regulation of Artificial Intelligence (GS Paper 3, Science & Tech)
Why in news?
- The UN general assembly has taken a significant step by unanimously adopting the first global resolution on artificial intelligence (AI).
- The resolution, titled “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development,” aims at bridging the gap in AI regulation for safe, secure use in interest of global good.
Why is there a need to regulate AI?
- Bias in algorithm- AI systems are trained on big data which may inherit biases of the creators. For example, An AI system may be better for some demographics than others.
- Job losses- Every technology has some impact on the livelihood of the people, AI is no different. AI will proliferate automation technology which will lead to a large number of job losses in multiple sectors.
- Privacy issues- AI systems either intentionally or unintentionally captures data of the people, sometimes without the consent which raises privacy concerns.
- Manipulative content creation- Such as deepfakes which can be used to serve narrow interests of certain sections of society. For example, recently there was a deep fake video of a famous actress that got viral which raised attention of the potential misuse.
- Ensuring transparency and accountability- It is important to hold companies working on these AI tools accountable for their actions.
The EU’s approach
- The EU uses a risk-based approach, That categorizes systems into four categories, namely unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal risks, prescribing guidelines for each.
- The Act prescribes a ban on applications that risk citizens’ rights, like manipulation of human behavior, emotion recognition, mass surveillance etc.
- It recognizes two things: acknowledging the compliance burden placed on business enterprises and start-ups, and regulating the much-deliberated Generative AI systems such as ChatGPT.
China’s stand on AI
- Chinese regulatory framework focuses on three subjects
- Content moderation-Which includes identification of content generated through any AI system
- Personal data protection-With a specific focus on the need to procure users’ consent before accessing and processing their data
- Algorithmic governance-With a focus on security and ethics while developing and running algorithms over any gathered dataset.
The U.K.’s framework
- The U.K, has a principled and context-based approach requires mandatory consultations with regulatory bodies to know regulatory loopholes if any.
- Thus , the U.K. has adopted a decentralized approach. There is a mechanism for consultation which is a bit softer than the Chinese and EU approach.
Artificial Intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the field of computer science focused on creating systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence.
- This technology aims to replicate human-like cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, learning, decision-making, and pattern recognition.
- Today, AI finds applications across diverse industries, ranging from finance to healthcare, due to its capability to analyze vast amounts of data and make insightful decisions.
- The evolution of AI has surpassed its original conception, driven by significant advancements in data processing, computational power, and algorithmic sophistication. These improvements have expanded AI’s utility and enabled its integration into various fields.
Way Forward
- India has one of the largest populations of internet users in the world which makes the country more vulnerable to such threats posed by AI.
- Also , considering the potential impact of the livelihoods of people it is crucial for the government to formulate comprehensive regulations which keep in mind different stakeholders.
