Social and Political Impacts of AI- Explained Pointwise

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, with wide-ranging social and political impacts. However, Its rapid development and integration into social and political life raises critical questions about privacy, employment, ethics and governance. As AI advances, understanding and managing its social and political impacts become increasingly important for a balanced and inclusive future.

What is artificial Intelligence? 

Artificial Intelligence- Artificial intelligence is intelligence demonstrated by machines. AI is a discipline which focuses on formulating theories and methodologies for constructing machines that emulate human thought processes and behaviours.

Generative AI is a subset of Artificial intelligence which is being increasingly used with wide ranging social and poitical impacts.

Generative AI- Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content, including text, imagery and audio. The term ‘Generative’ refers to the ability of the models to create new data based on certain input parameters. For ex- A generative model is used to generate facial images by providing a set of parameters such as the eyes, hair, or skin colour etc.

What are the positive and negative political impacts of artificial Intelligence?

Positive impacts

1. Innovative Policy Development- AI is being increasingly used in innovative policy development. For ex- AI-drafted bills in the US Congress is an example of AI’s use in legislative drafting.

2. Enhanced Political Messaging- AI is being used to craft resonant political messages through advanced analytics, which is revolutionizing campaign strategies.

3. New Political Platforms- AI is being used as a platform for political engagement and political ideological development. For ex- Denmark’s Synthetic Party using AI Chatbox to shape its political ideology.

4. Economic Contributions- AI-driven fundraising and business ventures marks a significant shift in political finance dynamics.

5. Campaign Strategies- Generative AI is being used extensively in electoral campaigns, such as live translation of election speeches into multiple languages.

Negative Impacts

1. Promotion of ‘Liar’s Dividend’ through Deepfakes– Liar’s Dividend refers to the situation when an undesirable truth is dismissed as deepfake or fake news. Political leaders have been weaponising deepfakes generated through AI, to replace an actual piece of media and truth. For Ex- Donald Trump’s deepfake videos blur the line between reality and fake. People start dismissing reality as fake.

2. Erosion of trust in democratic processes like elections- Doctored content, most likely in the form of a realistic fake video, is presented as fact to alter public perception and create democratic deficit. For Ex- Capitol Hill violence, 2021 was incited by using deep fake media.

3. Manipulation Risks- There are concerns about AI swaying elections and public opinion through the spread of false political narratives.

4. Ethical and Legal Challenges- The acceptance of AI-generated political contributions or parties raises complex ethical and legal questions about AI’s role in democratic processes.

What are the positive and negative Social impacts of AI?

Positive Impacts

1. Improving Healthcare System- AI has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare sector by improving the accuracy of diagnosis. For ex- Conversion of X-ray or any CT scan images to real images can improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

2. Boost to Agriculture- AI enables precision agriculture, improving crop productivity by providing accurate agronomic and weather data. This is crucial for meeting the needs of a growing population.

3. Creating empathy for people of War torn regions- Projects like the Deep empathy project of MIT and UNICEF has been increasing empathy for victims of a disaster region by creating AI-images of war-torn regions like Syria, Yemen.

4. Voice restoration- The technology is being used to restore the voices of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. For ex- Launch of various ‘Voice cloning initiatives‘.

5. Use in the field of creative art and Entertainment- The deepfake technology can be used to improve the dubbing of foreign language, films and resurrect dead actors. For ex- Samsung artificial intelligence lab in Moscow bringing Monalisa to life by using deep fake technology.

Negative Impacts

1. Crime against women- The deepfakes generated through AI are being used as a weapon to attack women dignity and chastity. According to AI company Deeptrace report, over 90% of the deepfake videos are pornographic in nature.

2. Fuelling Radicalisation and violence- The non-state actors like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, use fake videos to stir anti-state sentiments among people. For Ex- Fake videos showing armed forces committing ‘crimes in conflict areas’.

3. Threat of Job Losses- There are fears of job losses due to the use of AI technology, which can prove to be more cost-efficient and productive to firms as compared to human capital. For ex- Customer service jobs are under threat from the AI chatboxes (Zomato’s Zia).

4. Data Privacy Concerns- AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data raises significant concerns over data protection, cybersecurity, and privacy.

5. Environmental Concerns- AI systems require a lot of computing power, which have grave implications for the environment. For ex- According to analysts, training a transformer model just once with 213 million parameters can emit carbon emissions equivalent to 125 flights between New York and Beijing.

What is the status of regulation of AI in India and across the globe?

India

a. Digital India Framework- India is developing a comprehensive Digital India Framework that will include provisions for regulating AI. The framework aims to protect digital citizens and ensure the safe and trusted use of AI.
b. National AI programme- India has established a National AI Programme to promote the efficient and responsible use of AI.
c. National Data Governance Framework Policy- India has implemented a National Data Governance Framework Policy to govern the collection, storage, and usage of data, including data used in AI systems. This policy will help ensure the ethical and responsible handling of data in the AI ecosystem.
d. Draft Digital India Act- The Ministry of Information Technology and Electronics (MeitY) is working on framing the draft Digital India Act, which will replace the existing IT Act. The new act will have a specific chapter dedicated to emerging technologies, particularly AI, and how to regulate them to protect users from harm.

Rest of the World

a. European Union- The European Union is working on the draft Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) to regulate AI from the top down.

b. United States- The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has published a non-binding Blueprint for the Development, Use, and Deployment of Automated Systems (Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights), listing principles to minimize potential harm from AI.

c. Japan- Japan’s approach to regulating AI is guided by the Society 5.0 project, aiming to address social problems with innovation.

d. China- China has established the “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” and published ethical guidelines for AI. It has also introduced specific laws related to AI applications, such as the management of algorithmic recommendations.

What Should be the Way Forward?

1. De-biasing while training the AI- We must ensure fairness of the information which is being fed into the system, to ensure that AI doesn’t perpetuate or amplify social biases, like gender and racial biases.

2. Transparency of information- Users should have transparent information about the limitation and risks of AI.

3. Privacy protection- The user data and confidentiality must be protected to ensure user privacy. For ex- Strict implementation of data protection laws.

4. Ethical use of AI- We must ensure that AI is used only for beneficial purposes. The push must be made towards universal adoption of the Bletchley Declaration by all the countries.

Ai has the potential to give society intelligent guidance on how to approach some of the biggest problems, like climate change and pandemics. In the coming times, AI will contribute to longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives worldwide if used responsibly.