Chapter 2 - Artificial Intelligence and Ground Truth

Summary

Humanity’s increasing reliance on AI and robotics is driven by compelling narratives of efficiency in which the human is a poor substitute for the extraordinary computational power of machine learning, the creative competences of generative AI as well as the speed, accuracy and consistency of automation in so many spheres of human activity. Indeed, AI is increasingly becoming the core technological foundation of many contemporary societies. Most thinking on how to manage the downside risks to humanity of this seismic societal shift is set out in a direct fault-based relationship such as the innovative EU AI Act which is by far the most comprehensive political attempt to locate (or deter) those directly responsible for AI-generated harm. I argue that while such approaches are vital for combating injustice exacerbated by AI and robotics, too little thought goes into political approaches to the structural dynamics of AI’s impact on society. By way of example, I examine the UK ‘pro-innovation’ approach to AI governance and explore how it fails to address the structural injustices inherent in increasing AI usage.