Ai is increasingly relevant to many domains of government and major concerns of governance from that of municipalities to international relations. Here are a few of the concerns highlighted in the materials we have collected on these issues.
AI and Democracy: AI can influence democratic processes through targeted political advertising and misinformation. The rise of deep fakes, which are highly realistic but fake videos, poses significant threats to the integrity of information and public trust.
AI and Regulation: The AI Bill of Rights in the U.S. aims to protect citizens from the harms of AI by ensuring transparency, privacy, and fairness. In contrast, the GDPR in Europe provides robust data protection and privacy rights, emphasizing user consent and data minimization. Both frameworks highlight the need for ethical AI use but differ in their approaches and scope. Concerns regarding regulation arise about trade-offs between protecting citizen well-being from things like invasion of privacy, or having laws that create transparency, and other concerns about not falling behind in an "arms race" for AI innovation with a country like China, which might then gain economic benefits that an overly cautious approach might miss out on, or military benefits that can be important for national security.
AI and the Environment: AI technologies can both positively and negatively impact the environment. While AI can optimize energy use and reduce waste, the energy consumption of large AI models raises concerns about their carbon footprint. Sources here highlight these dual possibilities.
Smart Cities: AI-driven smart cities promise improved urban living through efficient resource management and enhanced public services. They can, for example, contribute to energy efficiency and greater public safety. However, they also raise privacy and surveillance concerns, necessitating careful governance.
International Governance: The global nature of AI development calls for international cooperation to establish ethical standards and regulations. This ensures that AI benefits are shared equitably and risks are mitigated globally. This area, though, is also rife with conflict. How might AI be used strategically in international relations? What agreements might be reached by international bodies? What norms might be agreed to?
Policing and Military: The use of AI in policing and military applications raises ethical questions about accountability, bias, and the potential for misuse. Ensuring that AI systems in these areas are transparent and fair is crucial for maintaining public trust and safety. A fundamental question concerns whether humans should be the final arbitrators in any use of force? But there are a myriad of ethical concerns about the development and use of AI in policing and the military.
(Some of this text was generated with the aid of generative AI)