AI needs further demystification and democratisation

Two particular events directed my attention recently to the importance to democratise information about AI into governence and popular culture. The first was a congressional hearing of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (the Cambridge Analytica story) where he at some point had to explain rather basic principles on Facebook's revenue model. The second was a recent EU parliament panel (October 2017) organized by STOA (Science and Technology Options Assessment) on AI aimed to prepare audiences for new technologies and their potential impact. I will go into more detail in the latter and show that there is still a big chasm between the expert view on the nature and potential of AI, and the view shared by non-experts such as EU parlementarians and the larger society. Thus the need for further demystification and democratisation of AI is quite apparent if it wants to earn a broad platform of trust and support by the general public.