Runaway Artificial Intelligence – Warning of the danger of creating a “monster” that gets out of control

In an interview with UN News during the AI ​​Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk said: “When developers have a very superficial understanding of the basic principles, it reminds me a bit of Frankenstein’s monster: they develop something that they can’t control later. If they’re not aware of the risks, they can make a huge mess.”

Türk urged governments and companies to urgently put in place safeguards to prevent this technology from deepening inequalities and biases and causing real harm.

And he said: “If data is collected from only one region of the world, and if AI development is limited to men, unconscious biases will permeate. It is essential to pay attention to marginalized groups and minorities because they are often excluded from AI development.”

The High Commissioner also likened the uncontrolled progress of artificial intelligence to “releasing the genie from the bottle.”

He warned of the impact of misinformation on the social fabric, saying: “It creates divided societies, where everyone lives in isolation from everyone else.” He also noted the alarming rise in misogyny: ““Many women tell me they are considering leaving politics because of what they experience on social media.”

Turk compared the need to regulate AI to that of the pharmaceutical industry, saying: “We must require companies to conduct a human rights impact assessment when they design, launch and market.”

He pointed out that some technology companies have budgets that exceed the budgets of small countries, which gives them global influence. “This influence can be used for good – health, education, sustainable development – ​​but also for evil: lethal autonomous weapons, disinformation, hate, and violent misogyny.”

A vision for the future

When UN News asked Turk what responsible AI could look like in five years, he pictured a scenario “Inclusive development, where power is not concentrated in the hands of a handful of North American companies, and AI builds on the richness and diversity of all societies.”

He concluded his speech by saying: “If we do not present a vision for a better world, we may end up with more polarization and wars beyond human control. This is extremely dangerous.”