The explosion of digital uncertainty

Source: This post has been created based on the article “The explosion of digital uncertainty” published in The Hindu on 19^th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Science and Technology — Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

News: This article discusses the future developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its possible negative implications for humanity.

Recent advances in Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) have brought to attention the various underlying threats and dangers.

What are the possible uncertainties arising with developments in AI?

1) Narrow understanding of complex digital processes: Digital infrastructure is built on layers upon layers of interconnected and complex protocols not properly understood by a vast number of people.

2) Cognitive warfare: It entails using technological tools to alter the cognition of human targets that are aimed at destabilizing governments, and manipulation of the media.

3) Loss of trust: Breaches of confidentiality and loss of governance capabilities may lead to a loss of trust.

4) Rising risks: As firms migrate to the Cloud, and more and more sensitive information is constantly transmitted, the risks go up.

5) Misinformation and disinformation.

6) Overdependence: As people become dependent – cognitively and psychologically – on digital networks, AI can influence their thinking and functioning.

Case Study:

Implications of AI-usage in the recent Hamas-Israel conflict: Israel’s massive intelligence failure is attributed by some experts to an overindulgence of AI by it.
Hamas appears to have used deceit to conceal its real intentions by distorting the flow of information flowing into Israeli AI systems.

What is AGI?

Soon we will witness the emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — Artificial Intelligence that is equal and or superior to human intelligence.

It will penetrate various sectors and could replace human judgement, intuition and creativity. AGI is predicted to be far more disruptive and dangerous.

What are the risks associated with AGI?

1) It could alter the fabric of nation-states.

2) It would enhance inequalities and social and economic disparities.

3) It has the capacity to flood a country with fake content. This could lead to a breakdown of the concept of trust.

4) AGI will be able to outperform humans in many areas.

5) It will have the potential to make decisions that are unpredictable and uncontrollable which could have unintended harmful consequences.

6) Digital data could be converted into digital intelligence.

7) AGI-driven disruption could lead to the age of “Digital colonialism”. This would lead to a new form of exploitation, viz., data exploitation.

8) It will lead to material shifts in the geo-political balance of power.

What should be done?

An over-dependence on AI and a belief in its invincibility could prove to be catastrophic. It calls for more intimate collaboration between states and the technology sector.