Artificial intelligence should have red lines
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The Supreme Court did not consider the other day the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the government to frame guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems on the grounds that it was a policy matter. But the importance of the issue should not be underestimated. The court has advised the government to consider the petition of Advocate N K Goswami as an application. Goswami's demand is for a comprehensive law to be made, from discrimination in algorithms to study on its impact. The demand to order the government to disclose the AI systems that may be used by various ministries and government agencies is justified. The use of AI by governments can very easily become anti-people. It needs to be checked. People have a right to know what AI systems their government is using for what purposes. But the challenges posed by AI are not limited to the realm of governance. Therefore, there needs to be an all-encompassing set of policies and regulations. As we have written before, a unified global framework that applies to all activities in the field of AI is essential. There needs to be a mechanism to set ethical boundaries for AI in the areas of research, production, and use and to ensure that they are respected. There needs to be a global mechanism like the International Atomic Energy Agency under the UN.
Recent developments show that AI's destructive potential is increasing more than its benefits. One such is the employment sector. Due to the rise of robots, it has come to a pass that in the place of 100 workers before, now there need to be only 40. The environmental impact of AI is also great. As the climate crisis intensifies, the danger posed by the introduction of AI systems is not small. The serious environmental problems posed by data centres have become apparent worldwide. While humans and living things struggle for drinking water, they use an enormous amount of water. At today's rate, the UN Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) says that by 2030, the cooling systems of AI centres will require water equivalent to the basic needs of 1.3 billion people. The problem of carbon emissions from data centres is another. In addition, there is the land required for their infrastructure. Tech giants have already started grabbing such resources. Amazon's data centre in Texas, US, is creating a huge controversy. Each of the data centres to be built in Thane and Visakhapatnam in India will require more than 500 acres of land. The companies will benefit at the same time when the people suffer from the water that will be drained and the waste that will be released.
AI can open up unlimited power and opportunities for exploitation to private companies. It needs to be stopped. Unfortunately, the policy here is to sell the country to the corporates. The government announced in Parliament earlier this month that environmental clearance is not required for AI data centres. The Supreme Court has left the petition seeking transparency in the government's use of AI for the government's consideration itself. Transparency alone is not enough. The damage to the environment and human rights cannot be ignored. In addition to job losses, online terrorism and hate speech, fake news, and environmental destruction, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) points out, even the ability to think is on the verge of being destroyed. As AI takes control of information exchange, the racism that is bred through it will also become pronounced. There will be a destructive concentration of power in thinking and decision-making. The solution is a policy that considers the entire planet and society. The European Union and some countries have formulated appropriate regulations classifying AI applications as harmless, dangerous, and extremely dangerous. The UN and countries, including India, must urgently come forward to formulate a comprehensive policy that upholds moral and human values.
