What will AI become, what should AI become: AI Now Symposium at MIT Media Lab

With the guiding question "how will AI become a part of our lives?", the AI Now Symposium, hosted by the AI Now Initiative and held on July 10, 2017 5:30–8:30pm at MIT Media Lab, aims to survey the biggest challenges we face as AI becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, from technical, research, and policy perspectives. I was fortunate to attend and liveblog this event, which featured a stunning lineup (including an incredible all-female panel) of experts from a diverse range of backgrounds and specialities. "What should we do" questions abound, from "who should regulate AI" to "how should we mitigate risks," but from our discussions it becomes clear that we do not fully understand AI and its effects in the first place. We spend time exploring "what can we do," asking questions such as "what is AI" and "what are the risks of AI." We leave the symposium with the prevailing thought that AI is as complicated and fallible as the humans that create it -- however and therefore, we should more thoughtfully create AI for the better. Joichi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab, gives opening remarks, beginning with a quote: "People worry that people will get too smart and take over the world, but the real problem is that they're too stupid and they're taking over the world."