Cecilia Danesi, professor and researcher in AI and civil law, discusses the evolution of AI and the importance of good governance.
When thinking about AI and its many capabilities, it can be difficult to conceptualize an area of modern life that hasn’t been impacted in some way by artificial intelligence. From school to work, to policy and even in healthcare, AI is certainly not a passing fad, which is why proper regulation is of great importance.
For Cecilia DanesiProfessor and researcher in AI and civil law at the University of Salamanca, increased governance of AI is crucial if we are to advance communities and prevent a further widening of social disparities.
“AI needs to be regulated and it is important that countries establish common ground on ethical governance. The European Union has published the AI Law “and this is a clear example of the balance between innovation and protection,” she said.
“There is no doubt that today we need regulation on AI. The idea is to ensure that AI improves our societies and does not increase social inequalities.”
AI and social sciences
Danesi earned her PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Perugia, is the author of a book on the impact of AI on society, and is the director of a master’s degree on the ethical governance of AI, but when she started in the field of AI, she explains that there was hardly anyone working at the intersection of AI and the social sciences.
“That’s why when I started, it was very difficult because there was no information and we didn’t really know what the relationship was between AI and social sciences. Today, it’s easier to understand why we need social science professionals working on AI,” she explains.
She noted that the evolution of the AI field is part of the reason it is such a fascinating and dynamic sector, saying that the continued growth aspect makes it both challenging and rewarding.
“For example, when I started working with AI, generative AI was not at the center of the debate. After the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, generative AI has become the hot topic. Every day, new frontiers to explore and study appear,” she said.
AI has many benefits, such as reducing dangerous or repetitive tasks, automating difficult tasks, and making data-driven decisions. However, as Danesi acknowledges, AI can pose a danger to humans, particularly due to algorithmic bias and AI hallucinations.
“These risks can be particularly dangerous for vulnerable and underrepresented groups. That is why it is very important to analyze and work on this intersection between AI and human rights,” she said.
Using social media as an example, she urged people to pay closer attention to how algorithms control the type of content we are regularly exposed to and how often certain groups of people, usually falling into various categories, are largely excluded.
“If we talk about stereotypes, we can easily see that beauty filters are a clear example of reinforcing stereotypes. The same goes for racial prejudice, for example. Normally, social media algorithms do not show diversity, all the faces and bodies we see are homogeneous.”
It’s not AI vs. humanity
Danesi firmly believes that we cannot afford to eliminate the element of human contact in our dealings with AI, saying we must ensure its continuity in the development of the technology.
The only way to eradicate bias and blind spots in AI, she said, is to ensure that AI is exposed to all of humanity. “When we talk about human beings, we’re not talking about a race, a color, or a religion, we’re talking about diversity,” Danesi said.
For Danesi, education is key and there is a need to focus on both the negative and positive effects of AI. She explained that she considers the section on AI literacy in the European AI law to be a “diamond” because it provides an important overview of AI literacy expectations regarding the use of AI.
“Technical professionals, like programmers and engineers, who work on AI have no training in AI ethics. AI literacy is very important in both cases for people who work in AI, like developers, programmers, etc., but also for users,” she explained.
Earlier this summer, Danesi spoke at the 2024 press conference European Leadership Academy Summer School for Women’s Leadership, where she addressed 29 young women from the 27 EU Member States, the Western Balkans and Ukraine, on the topic of AI ethics.
“We need to understand that these women are the future, not just the future of AI. They are the future of many disciplines, the future of our work,” she said, adding that it is essential that they acquire the knowledge necessary to use cutting-edge technologies safely and ethically. She stressed that this ethical governance of AI is not exclusively beneficial for those working in STEM fields.
“AI is everywhere, so we can implement it in every industry and every discipline. Everyone is using AI.”
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