Will social inequalities be eradicated with artificial intelligence?

We are on the verge of a new technological revolution. Artificial intelligence is increasingly penetrating all aspects of our lives, and intelligent machines are changing the way we live and work.

The potential consequences of AI entering human society are now clear and whether the widespread use of this technology will lead to widespread unemployment and a grim future for humanity in which artificial intelligence and robots will make humans unemployed, or help us create innovative solutions to the world’s pressing problems. will We know that the greater the gap between the rich and the poor around the world, the greater the economic inequality.

Some experts believe that artificial intelligence can provide solutions to eliminate economic inequality by increasing efficiency and reducing costs, and ultimately improve access to basic services and create effective opportunities to improve people’s living standards. On the other hand, some others believe that this technology will exacerbate most of the problems of the world’s poorest and least-served people and make access to wealth and resources possible for only a small population. Meanwhile, who is right? This question is really complex and we have to consider many aspects to get the right answer. In the following, we will express the opinion of the pros and cons of using AI to deal with economic inequality.

Why can artificial intelligence increase economic inequality?

Those who are worried that artificial intelligence will eventually increase the distance between the haves and the have-nots, have stated several reasons; Such people believe that only the rich have access to technology. The results of systematic studies have shown that disadvantaged people often do not have access to the digital tools and technologies necessary to benefit from the potential benefits of AI, such as computers and Internet access.

Meanwhile, many AI systems are built and owned by wealthy multinational corporations; For this reason, they also control the amount of access to them. The data used for AI analysis and decision-making is also often available to people who have the resources to collect, store, and process it.

The next issue is job security and unemployment. It is often pointed out that the jobs that are most at risk of automation are often in the category of low-income jobs; Jobs such as call center operators, food couriers and data entry clerks.

Although the World Economic Forum predicts that new jobs will be created for people made redundant by automation, these new jobs may require skills and education, and perhaps people with fewer resources will be able to do so. Do not have jobs.

Such an event can lead to the renewal of the negative effects of artificial intelligence and automation in less developed countries or less privileged economic regions; In such areas, the workforce is usually only capable of doing low-level jobs!

Finally, we cannot ignore the potential risk of artificial intelligence to create inequality due to algorithmic bias. We have seen time and time again that bias in data can lead to discrimination against disadvantaged groups.

For example, Amazon designed an artificial intelligence algorithm to evaluate job applicants, but realized that using this algorithm could lead to discrimination against female applicants for technical jobs. That’s why he put it aside; Because fewer women apply for these types of jobs; Female applicants’ resumes were less likely to match those of previous successful applicants and were likely to be rejected. All in all, there are many reasons that people are right against using artificial intelligence to solve inequality, and it should be accepted that AI may not be the best tool to solve inequality.

How can artificial intelligence make us more equal?

We should know that the great promise of using artificial intelligence to increase efficiency can ultimately lead to a reduction in the cost of many basic goods and services we need.

Access to cheaper and more nutritious food, better quality housing and improved education services can potentially help people live healthier lives and lift themselves out of widespread poverty and deprivation. Meanwhile, improving the efficiency and accessibility of healthcare with the help of AI is also promised. Thanks to predictive algorithms with AI, it will be possible to move towards preventive measures instead of confrontation; For example, thanks to this technology, it is possible to identify the disease in the early stages, which will lead to a significant reduction in the cost of treatment. In theory, these cost savings will reduce overall health care costs and achieve better outcomes for patients.

Of course, when due care is taken to ensure that the data is clean and the algorithms are fair, AI must offer solutions to create fairer results. We can use insurance as an example. The philosophy behind providing insurance services is to charge people a small amount in exchange for protecting them against big trouble.

Thanks to artificial intelligence-based analysis, risks can be assessed more accurately, which leads to the creation of more efficient insurance; Insurance that everyone pays a fair amount based on their individual risk history.

Of course, we must also consider the difference between accepted and unavoidable risk; For example, smokers and those who like to drive fast have taken this risk, but in contrast to those who were born with cancer due to genetics and were inadvertently involved in risk and disease; Artificial intelligence makes it possible, in theory, to take these into account; Therefore, justice and equality are predicted based on choices; No luck.

As we can see, the use of AI has a potential risk of intensifying inequality, but on the other hand, it can also provide the basis for creating a more just society. According to such an opinion, the question arises as to how we can use artificial intelligence in the right way to solve economic inequality.

How to solve the problem of social inequalities in the world based on AI?

No technology is inherently good or bad, and the potential for any technology to be useful or harmful depends entirely on how we use it; Based on such a view, it can be said that there are several influential factors based on which the use of AI can lead to a decrease or increase in social equality. We will examine these factors below.

The first factor is the responsible use of artificial intelligence; That is, AI should be developed in a way that is ethical, safe, impartial, transparent and accountable.

When we talk about equality, we must pay special attention to the impact of social equality on the lives of the deprived and marginalized people; For example, some friends are interested in companies devoting part of the resource savings they get through artificial intelligence capabilities to the training and upskilling of people whose jobs are at risk of being destroyed. It seems that such people should also contribute to exploiting these opportunities.

Governments must also shoulder part of this burden. They have a duty to ensure that the development of ethical and responsible AI systems is encouraged and rewarded. At the same time, they need to make sure that limits are put in place to reduce the harmful effects of AI. In the future, governments should encourage people to invest in the infrastructure of deprived areas and improve the level of literacy related to artificial intelligence among the population of deprived areas.

Ultimately, ensuring that AI helps improve equality and does not widen gaps will require joint efforts by governments and businesses. Global cooperation is also needed to ensure that rich countries do not benefit at the expense of less developed countries becoming poorer.

What could possibly go wrong? A lot of things! Of course, some people see the creation of ethical and responsible artificial intelligence systems only as a good thing when money is involved and do not consider themselves obliged to design such systems. If AI is used correctly to address inequality, it will help improve the lives of everyone, not just those with wealth and power.