Microsoft's Brad Smith on How to Responsibly Deploy AI

AI can reveal how many cigarettes a person has smoked based on the DNA contained in a single drop of their blood, or scrutinize Islamic State propaganda to discover whether violent videos are radicalizing potential recruits. Because AI is such a powerful tool, Microsoft president Brad Smith told the crowd at Columbia University's recent Data Science Day that tech companies and universities performing AI research must also help ensure the ethical use of such technologies. AI is now an invisible but inextricable part of life for hundreds of millions of people. The rise of machine learning algorithms combined with cloud computing services has put massive computer power at the fingertips of companies and customers worldwide. These trends have also enabled the rise of data science that applies AI methods to constantly analyze information from online services and Internet-connected devices. In his talk, Smith emphasized the need for policies and laws that hold these systems and machines accountable to humans.