During the recent election campaign in Britain, there was widespread criticism that the candidates did not address many of the big issues that will undoubtedly affect the future of most people. And this criticism was quite fair. I don’t remember any of the politicians talking about the rapidly changing world of business and work, as well as what this country could become in the future, or what they intend to do in this regard.
As a person working in artificial intelligence (AI), it is natural for me to pay particularly close attention to policy statements regarding these issues. However, my interest in what national leaders think is not purely commercial. The point is, I actually believe in AI's ability to change our entire world for the better.
However, despite the enormous potential, I believe there is one key element that could enable AI to make a breakthrough. And it is precisely this element that our leaders are currently lacking. It's about strategic ambition.
I have often read that we are supposedly on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution. But judging by what many members of the government are saying, it's hard to believe.
Recently, two cross-party parliamentary groups on artificial intelligence were created, and this is encouraging. However, given the total silence of Whitehall and Downing Street, I can't help but wonder if their work is being taken seriously.
The simple truth is that Britain cannot lead, much less change, the world without a clear national strategy.
I ask you to recall the era of the space race for a moment. It was a period of international technological innovation that led to many things taken for granted today - from powerful computers and commercial space travel to satellite TV and non-stick pans.
There was a clear goal: to get into space and land on the lunar surface. This goal led to the creation of the latest technologies needed to win and get there first. It was this rivalry that drove the United States and Russia to strive for technological breakthroughs.
Promotional video:
As a result, the space race ushered in a new era in technology, spurring innovation that has improved the daily lives of millions of people. AI is capable of doing the same today.
It's time for Britain to break the bank. Through the development of artificial intelligence, it is able to become, and will become, a world leader in this new era. If this does not happen, she will be just a guest at someone else's party.
The government urgently needs to start thinking not only about how to improve what we are doing today, but about what we can do in a completely different way. He needs to shape a strategic vision for a new society, taking into account automation, gigonomics (the gig economy), and the increasingly interconnected nature of work.
This is not about how we overcome the challenges of AI development, but how we use it to solve the problems facing our country, to support the economy and improve people's lives in the process of this support. These are problems that require a new type of intelligence.
What is intelligence? Intelligence is the effective use of knowledge. Thanks to technology, we have a rich arsenal of knowledge that we did not have before.
we have information, a colossal amount of information. However, we still often lack the ability to turn this information to good use.
Artificial Intelligence is the key you need to benefit from knowledge.
Various government agencies “sit on information” that gives an idea of how society functions. Data about our health, the benefits and benefits we receive, the types of transportation we use, and the taxes we pay.
Taken in isolation, this information is only useful to the department that possesses it. But if properly aggregated and integrated, this information can help in finding intelligent solutions to many of society's problems.
A country that wants to lead in this area needs a software platform to unite the mass of information. She also needs the "right" people who can ask the "right questions" to the database. And finally, artificial intelligence, which can formulate the correct answers and provide them to people.
Britain must have an absolutely clear and unified understanding of what it would like to assign to AI in order to get the most out of the data at its disposal. This may seem obvious, but often governments first formulate policies to address a perceived problem, and then look for information that will confirm that the policy will work.
In addition, the government should develop a regulatory framework that will establish the rules for the interaction of participants in the development of AI solutions that will benefit society.
Ideally, we need a structure that will move towards a common goal of improving business and government efficiency, as well as addressing data privacy and security issues that prevent people from fully exploiting the potential of AI.
If we move quickly and work in one direction, artificial intelligence could be an area where Britain will actually break the bank.
Igor Abramov