Artificial intelligence: Humanity’s greatest invention, or Frankenstein’s monster?

Published regularly throughout the year, Transform is a platform for conversations about how digital technology is re-shaping the present, while giving readers a glimpse of the future.

In this edition:

Acclaimed sci-fi novelist looks at how AI will affect Africa – and artists

Winner of the prestigious Hugo Award for science fiction, Nnedi Okorafor is an African futurist – a term she coined to describe a sub-category of science fiction rooted in African culture and mythology.

This genre “skews optimistic,” Okorafor says – but it’s a cautious optimism.

“Technology isn't positive or negative, it’s neutral. It's how we use it that decides everything.” 

In an interview with Transform Talks at the 81st World Science Fiction Convention in Chengdu, China, Okorafor said she doesn’t feel threatened by the prospect of AI churning out science fiction that competes with her own.

“AI can't create those things that are from the human heart. They can only create what's already out there. I know the way I write, the reason that I write, and where it comes from. That's not something that AI can imitate.” 

While some may associate science fiction with the West, Okorafor says the genre is actually much broader. “Science fiction has many points of origin. Every society on earth thinks about the future. We all have a stake in it.”

See the full interview with Nnedi Okorafor here.

Generative AI may be “the most important invention in human history,” says this Silicon Valley pioneer

Jerry Kaplan knows tech. A serial entrepreneur and inventor with a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, he’s well positioned to say whether ChatGPT and similar technologies are over-hyped. 

In his opinion, they’re not. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he says, in an interview with Huawei Editor-in-Chief Gavin Allen. “These systems will discover new drugs and help us address major problems like climate change. They will provide advice of every conceivable nature. In the future, when you want the most objective, reliable, accurate information, you're not going to go to a human being. You're going to ask a machine.”

Despite his optimism about AI’s potential, Kaplan warns that we’ll soon be seeking emotional support from the technology. “It may disconnect people because instead of getting your connection from other human beings, you're going to get that emotional need for comfort and friendship from a machine.”

Watch the full video interview with Jerry Kaplan or read a transcript.

Most executives don’t understand AI, says this expert

Research shows that adults make about 35,000 decisions a day. AI can automate and optimize some of the most important ones.

But that requires judgment and understanding of AI’s capabilities – an understanding many executives lack, according to expert Patrick Glauner. 

“They think AI is a silver bullet,” he says. “But often, they don’t really know what to do with it. They say, ‘Let’s do an AI project,’ but there is no business goal.”

To fix this problem, Glauner, a professor at Germany’s prestigious Deggendorf Institute of Technology, developed a course called “Innovation Management for AI.”

“I show students real-world management problems,” he says. “These include how to manage AI experts, what roles you need in a company, how to handle budgets and AI regulations, and how to transform a company into an AI-driven business.”

Watch the full video interview with Patrick Glauner or read a transcript.

Bringing multiple voices to the table will make AI more inclusive

What’s the best way to make sure AI is used for good purposes? Ask Frederic Werner, Chief of Strategy and Operations at “AI for Good,” an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

“We have to be mindful of the unintended consequences of AI, so top of mind is job loss due to automation,” says Werner. Other issues include privacy, transparency, accountability, and the digital divide.

Unbeknownst to many, 40 UN agencies work in partnership with AI for Good, so there’s plenty of expertise on hand to manage these complex issues.

But experts aren’t enough, Werner says. “We bring in industry, academia, civil society, and different NGOs, as well as artists, athletes, and creatives. We bring different voices to the table so we can have a proper, inclusive dialogue on how AI might benefit humanity.”

Watch the full video interview with Frederic Werner, or read a transcript.

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