Amy Webb: The Dangers of AI

Some would say that the magic of artificial intelligence, or AI, is that its users are its primary source of power. As we navigate a Facebook page or ask Alexa a question, we provide data inputs at virtually no cost. Others, such as Amy Webb, would argue that this is AI’s most dangerous characteristic. This is because our data contributions are subject to such limited oversight. Webb is the founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm that advises Fortune 500 companies, international nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and government agencies. A clear lover of new experiences, reporting and data, today she is a self-described quantitative futurist. Since future trends are usually present on the fringe of society before they appear in the mainstream, Webb’s line of work uses data-driven models to report on the probabilities of the future. Her latest predictions, as laid out in her book The Big Nine: How Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, give three scenarios for the future of artificial intelligence—optimistic, pragmatic and catastrophic. For each scenario, she provides practical measures that can be taken to address the most pressing issues. Her lesson in foresight is an important one as AI becomes more powerful and embedded within our everyday lives. Join us for a compelling discussion on the future of artificial intelligence—and what we can do about it.

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