Annex 1: Examples of some concerns and implications of AI on society

Ethical Concerns: 

  • Bias and Discrimination: AI systems can inherit biases present in their training data, leading to discriminatory outcomes in areas like hiring, law enforcement, and loan approvals. 
  • Privacy: AI's ability to analyse vast amounts of personal data raises privacy issues. The potential for surveillance and data misuse is a major concern. 
  • Accountability: Determining who is responsible for decisions made by AI systems, especially when they go wrong, is challenging. 

Social Implications: 

  • Job Displacement: Automation driven by AI could lead to significant job losses in certain sectors, raising concerns about employment and income inequality. 
  • Human Dependency: Over-reliance on AI could impact human skills and decision-making abilities. 
  • Social Manipulation: AI-powered systems like deepfakes and targeted advertising can be used for misinformation and manipulation. 

Economic Impact: 

  • Market Concentration: The high cost of developing effective AI systems could lead to market dominance by a few powerful entities, reducing competition. 
  • Global Inequality: Countries with more advanced AI capabilities may gain disproportionate economic and political power, exacerbating global inequalities. 

Security Risks: 

  • Vulnerability to Attacks: AI systems can be targets for cyberattacks, which can be more complex due to the interconnectedness and automated nature of these systems. 
  • Weaponization: The potential militarization of AI raises concerns about autonomous weapons and new forms of warfare. 

Regulatory and Legal Challenges: 

  • Lack of Oversight: The rapidly evolving nature of AI makes it difficult for regulations to keep pace, leading to potential gaps in oversight. 
  • International Standards: The absence of globally accepted standards for AI development and use can lead to ethical and legal discrepancies across borders. 

Technological Uncertainties: 

  • Unpredictability: AI systems, particularly those based on machine learning, can sometimes behave in unpredictable or unintended ways. 
  • Explainability (or interpretability): Many AI models lack transparency in how they reach conclusions, making it difficult to understand and trust their decisions