Neil Lawrence: Artificial Intelligence is not that simple

AI: a dangerous threat or an indispensable tool for today and the future? «Artificial Intelligence is the most disruptive technology we've ever seen», claims Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge. However, he also believes that AI «is the continuation of a technological revolution» in how we share information via computers.

Speaking in Lisbon, the guest of this edition of «It's Not That Simple» highlighted a critical issue regarding AI usage: «It is not being used in the areas people are asking us to use it: health, social care, education or security.»

He advocates deploying AI to tackle persistent challenges and applying its benefits effectively, citing optimising time in essential professions as an example: «With this wave of technology, there is an opportunity to re-empower our nurses, our teachers, and others who make society better.»

While optimistic about the relationship between humanity and AI, Lawrence acknowledges the difficulties in regulating such a rapidly evolving field. He warns against leaving regulation to «inflexible and under-resourced» regulators to «decide the future for us all.»

Instead, he believes that regulators should work more closely with businesses, to understand their challenges more fully and be better placed to anticipate technological reactions before making decisions.​

Lawrence collaborates with the OECD to elaborate guidelines for promoting responsible and democratic AI usage, privileging balanced regulation of the sector. «This is the most dangerous part of the reality we find ourselves in. We are at a stage where businesses are trying to preserve their market share», and restricting public access to AI in the process, he laments.​

As an alternative, he argues, «we should encourage young people and those who want to do interesting and innovative things to use this technology.»