How To Manage AI's Risks & Rewards

Compared to previous revolutions involving processes like mechanization, mass production, and automation, the fourth industrial revolution is characterized by the convergence of new and emerging technologies in, complex socio-technical systems that permeate every aspect of human life. Convergence also implies the increasing interaction of multiple fields, such as AI, genomics and nanotechnology, which rapidly expands the range of possible impacts that need to be considered in any science policy exercise. Ten years ago, nanotechnology was celebrated largely for its impacts on chemistry and material sciences. But the ability to precision engineer matter at genetically relevant scale has resulted in significant advances in genomics and neurosciences, such as creating the ability to model networks of neurons. This example illustrates how the convergence of two emerging technologies --AI and genomics--leads to advances beyond the initial capabilities of either alone.