For better AI, diversify the people building it

Big technology companies get much of the blame when technology behaves badly. But these same companies, says Partnership on AI executive director Terah Lyons, could also be part of the solution in making sure future AI technology works better for the world. Speaking at MIT Technology Review's annual EmTech Digital conference in San Francisco, Lyons presented the Partnership on AI's four-point mission statement and eight tenets that the organization calls its guiding principles. Those tenets include working to protect the privacy and security of individuals, striving to respect the interests of all parties that may be affected by AI advances, helping keep AI researchers socially responsible, ensuring that AI research and technology is robust and safe, and creating a culture of cooperation, trust, and openness among AI scientists to help achieve these goals. The Partnership on AI hopes that these principles will be adopted by the wider technology community.