Real Danger and Dangerous Distraction - AI to the Rescue?

The shooting at the school in Florida was devastating, and it appears clear that Russia has been manipulating public opinion in the U.S. to stoke the flames of a divisive argument on guns. What is being missed is a brewing problem that potentially could have an even more devastating impact. Competing for our eyeballs is the news that the U.S. president kissed a woman without her permission. That story has served as a distraction from far more horrendous attacks against women in the tech industry and in government. Intel showcased virtual reality at the Olympics, but almost no one cared. I think that deep learning and artificial intelligence either could make things far better or far, far worse -- and my fear is that we are moving toward the latter and away from the former.