The TWIML AI Podcast (formerly This Week in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence) AI and Society: Past, Present and Future with Eric Horvitz - #493
Jun 17, 2021
Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, delves into the future of AI and its ethical implications. He shares insights from his time as AAAI president and discusses the transformation of AI since 2009. The conversation highlights the critical role of responsible AI development, particularly through the Aether committee. Horvitz also addresses the National Security Commission on AI's comprehensive report covering AI R&D, trustworthy systems, and the ethical ramifications of technology like facial recognition in law enforcement.
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Microsoft's Aether Committee
- Microsoft established its AI principles (fairness, reliability, privacy, etc.) in 2016 under Satya Nadella.
- The Aether Committee was formed to address ethical implications and review sensitive use cases.
Leadership Commitment to Responsible AI
- Microsoft's responsible AI efforts benefit from top leadership commitment, including Satya Nadella and Brad Smith.
- The company prioritizes doing good work over boasting or "ethics washing."
Aether and Neural TTS
- One example of Aether's work involved neural TTS, a technology that could realistically mimic voices.
- Due to potential misuse, the committee recommended gating access and licensing restrictions.