Taming the robots and AIs
labOREm ExERcEns
‘WHOEvER becomes the ruler of AI will become the ruler of the world,” quipped vladimir Putin in September 2017. Russia is bent on intensifying efforts to master artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, 3D manufacturing and other technologies under the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR)—digital, physical and biological—to regain the eroded global power it once had during the Soviet era.
However, the United States remains the global leader in AI and other FIR technologies. Donald Trump and his “America First” followers are adamant in keeping vital technological breakthroughs from falling into the hands of China.
ON the other hand, China, now No. 2 global developer of the system of AIs and No. 1 manufacturer of robots, has been unequivocal about its ambition: to be the world leader in AIs and other technologies by 2030. This ambition was reaffirmed in the just-concluded meeting of the Communist Party of China on the 40 years of China’s market reform transformation, when Xi Jinping declared that China will produce “miracles that will impress the world.”
Not to be outdone, the European Union is increasing its R&D spending by 70 percent for 2018 to 2020, with the expected investments EUwide reaching around €20 billion. There are similar aggressive programs being undertaken by Japan and South Korea.
The problem is: will this technology competition keep the world safer and better for all? Or will it put humanity at greater risk to conflicts and deprivations?
For those in the field of industrial relations, the basic question is: Where is the technology competition to create and maintain quality jobs for all, especially in the developing world? As it is, AIs, robotics, big data systems and so on are disrupting jobs across Asia and the globe while keeping a few global corporations happy in cornering all the profits.
One distressing development is not only the deepening of social, economic and technological divide between and among rich and poor nations. There is also the disruption of the skills pyramid and the attendant hollowing out of jobs handled by the army of blue- and white-collar workers. And as the technology giants keep accumulating more and more
computing power, even professions involving analysis and creation such as financial consultants, doctors, lawyers and so on are affected partly, or even wholly. For example, the more advanced medical robots are able to provide more accurate diagnostics of body ailments compared to the regular surgeons.
This is why in the last G-20 Meeting, the trade unions from the G-20 countries came up with a number of demands bundled under what they call as “Just Transition to a digitalized economy.” These include demands for stronger and universal social protection for all those affected by the technology revolution, equal playing field for both the digital and traditional economy, nondiscrimination in online and off line work, social and labor rules that must be observed when technology is introduced, skills development for readiness for industry 4.0 and so on.
However, the most dramatic and forward-looking labor demands in the digital era are those articulated by UNI Global Union, the world’s largest skills and service confederation, which has its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. UNI has come up with 10 ethical guidelines or principles on the development of AI systems that AI designers, technology companies and countries must observe to insure that society does not get further divided and workers are not excluded from the development process.
Why the focus on AI? UNI’s answer: “AI is present in many household appliances and workplaces: in chatbots, robots, system analytics and databases churning out information and reactions such as movements and speech...AI and its applications are already displacing workers, and with the rapid development in its capabilities, it is expected that many more tasks done by humans today will be done by AI and robots in the future. Within companies, typical human resource tasks are being complemented or even substituted by AI. This can be seen in the use of AI in recruitment and promotion processes, and in workplace monitoring and efficiency/productivity tests.”
Why the emphasis on “ethical”? The point is that AI must put people and planet first because the issue is precisely survival of people and planet. UNI further explains: “Some workers are already losing their jobs to AI; indeed, research indicates that over 50 percent of the work currently done by humans can be faster and more efficiently done by automated systems.”
And yet, ethically developed and properly harnessed, “AI, machine learning, robotics and automated systems can also benefit workers. In the health-care sector, robots will be able to help workers lift patients, or monitor their well-being. In many service jobs, AI systems can improve the service offered to customers.”
Now what are the 10 commandments developed by UNI? These are:
1. AI Systems should be transparent. “A transparent artificial intelligence system is one in which it is possible to discover how, and why, the system made a decision, or in the case of a robot, acted the way it did.”
2. AI Systems should be equipped with an “Ethical Black Box.”
3. AI should serve People and Planet. The idea here is that AI development should be compatible with “the principles of human dignity, integrity, freedom, privacy and cultural and gender diversity, as well as with fundamental human rights.” Also, AI systems must protect the planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity.
4. Adopt a human-in-command approach in AI development. This means legal persons are on top at all times to ensure that the work of the AI system is safe and useful to society.
5. AI systems should be genderless and unbiased. AIs should not generate discrimination in gender, race and so on.
6. AI benefits should be shared with the people.
7. There should be a just transition in the development of the AI system and these should support the fundamental freedoms and rights of workers.
8. There should be a multistakeholder global governance mechanisms.
9. There should be a ban on the attribution of responsibility to robots to any wrongdoing. Robots do not have legal personalities.
10. There should be a ban in the use of AI systems for the arms race.
Are today’s world leaders capable of following these 10 commandments for the 21st century?
Why the emphasis on “ethical”? The point is that AI must put people and planet first because the issue is precisely survival of people and planet. UNI further explains: “Some workers are already losing their jobs to AI; indeed, research indicates that over 50 percent of the work currently done by humans can be faster and more efficiently done by automated systems.”