7 things you should know about artificial intelligence

This is the first in a series of blog posts BSR will publish in 2018 exploring the intersection of disruptive technologies and sustainability. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing, thanks to ever-more-powerful computing, massive growth in the availability of digital data and increasingly sophisticated algorithms. The world's largest technology firms are investing billions to develop their AI capabilities, and companies across industries, from travel to real estate to fashion, are racing to bring AI-enabled services to market. AI has the potential to bring significant social benefits, including health care (via improved diagnostics), transportation (through self-driving vehicles) and law enforcement (with improved fraud detection). AI also brings new social risks, including to non-discrimination (from algorithmic bias), privacy (through the misuse of personal information), child rights (through lack of informed consent) and labor rights (because of the mass displacement of workers by machines).