Making Sure AI Is Socially Responsible

Notwithstanding the question of bias, AI can have a positive social impact - for example, by automating large amounts of processes that currently depend on human labor but exact a steep cost on the individuals performing that labor. One such instance is identifying and stopping the spread of child abuse images on the dark web. Another example of AI's ability to relieve pressure on human agents and produce better outcomes us provided by Annie MOORE, developed by researchers at the Universities of Oxford and Lund. The software matches refugees to locations based on their needs and skills and the availability of resources and opportunities, and is increasing the likelihood of someone finding employment within three months by more than 20 per cent as well as improving their chances of integrating into their new communities. This data processing power is also, through machine learning, accelerating the development of new models for understanding how the world is changing - ClimateAI, for instance, has developed a forecasting engine for the agriculture and energy sectors that can model the impact of climate change on asset values over time periods ranging from a single season to an entire decade.