Introduction
In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, AI has become a buzzword that is both exciting and concerning. The promise of AI to revolutionize various industries and improve our lives is undeniable, but so are the potential risks and challenges it poses. At such a critical time when there is so much debate and discussion around the promise and peril of AI, it is essential to have a balanced perspective and a clear understanding of how we can navigate the hype and reality of this powerful technology.
The Schwarzman College of Computing and MIT's Shaping the Future of Work Initiative
The Schwarzman College of Computing is honored to co-host this event with MIT's Shaping the Future of Work initiative. This unique convergence of minds and missions at the intersection of technology, society, and the future of work brings together experts from various fields to explore the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
Professor Arvin Narayan and AI Snake Oil
We are joined by Professor Arvin Narayan from Princeton University, the author of the book AI Snake Oil. Professor Narayan's book provides a much-needed breath of fresh air in the AI discourse, offering a balanced perspective on how we can navigate the hype and reality of AI.
The Parallel with Snake Oil
In his book, Professor Narayan draws a parallel between AI and snake oil, whose sellers promise miracle cures with false pretenses. Sometimes, these cures are ineffective but harmless, but in other cases, they can cause harm, including loss of health or life. Similarly, AI snake oil is AI that does not and cannot work. The goal of the book is to identify AI snake oil and distinguish it from places where AI can work very effectively, especially in high-stakes settings such as hiring, healthcare, and justice.
The Two-Dimensional Framework
To understand how we should look at any particular AI application, Professor Narayan presents a two-dimensional framework. On one dimension, we have how well does it work? Does it work as claimed or is it overhyped or does it not work at all? On the other dimension, we have the fact that AI can be harmful because it doesn't work as claimed in its snake oil or it can actually be harmful because it works well and it works exactly as claimed.
Predictive AI
Predictive AI is a type of AI that is used to make decisions about people, often very consequential decisions based on a prediction of what they will do in the future or what will happen to them in the future. This decision is made using machine learning based on data from past similar people. However, Professor Narayan is very dubious about predictive AI, as the predictive accuracy of these methods is not really that high.
Generative AI
Generative AI is a type of AI that can generate any one of a number of things, such as text, images, and music. While there are limitations and a lot of hype surrounding generative AI, Professor Narayan is also very clear in the book that generative AI is useful to basically every knowledge worker, anyone who thinks for a living.
The Labor Implications of AI
When we talk about AI and labor, one very clear thing that we need to talk about is the labor that goes into making these large-scale generative AI models. There is a lot of human annotation work that is necessary to essentially clean the training data if you will that goes into making these models, and this work is offshored to developing countries.
The Importance of Personal Agency
Professor Narayan emphasizes the importance of personal agency in using AI. We need to use judgment in knowing when the use of AI is even appropriate, which is separate from the issue of whether it works or not.
The Future of AI
Professor Narayan's prediction is that one day much of what we call AI today will fade into the background, but certainly not all of it. He also provides a framework for thinking about AI that is an alternative to the major narratives that we have today.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Professor Narayan's book AI Snake Oil is a must-read for anyone who is interested in AI and its impact on society. The book provides a much-needed balanced perspective on how we can navigate the hype and reality of AI and offers practical recommendations for how we can shape AI for the better.