TAS-UK will drive multidisciplinary work structured around three initial grand challenges informed by previous research on robotics and AI, which represent contexts of significant public concern and risk to potential economic and societal growth. Ongoing work within the grand challenge programme will identify new emerging areas. These initial challenges are:
1. To ensure TAS improve rather than harm our physical and mental wellbeing: AS such as robots, intelligent vehicles and devices co-located with humans at work, at home, or in industry aim to improve efficiency and wellbeing, and are being promoted as solutions to caring for some of the most vulnerable in society. However, work is needed to understand and avoid potential harm that AS can cause. According to [1]: “it is possible to foresee a scenario where AI systems may malfunction, underperform or otherwise make erroneous decisions which cause harm. In particular, this might happen when an algorithm learns and evolves of its own accord. It was not clear […] whether new mechanisms for legal liability and redress in such situations are required, or whether existing mechanisms are sufficient.”.
2. To ensure TAS safeguard rather than undermine our personal freedoms: AS are already core to the economy and society (e.g., algorithm-driven advertising, social media, recommendations) and impact upon human rights such as autonomy, privacy, freedom and dignity. However, we must address the increasing complexity that hides the data biases to which these factors may be sensitive, the security vulnerabilities they present, the control they give to the organisations that operate them, and the processing and sharing of our data – whether personal or social data (where data is not purely associated with a single person) or data concerning vulnerable groups such as children. For example, consultations with leading research groups by [1] led to a recommendation that research is carried out “into the possible impact of AI on conventional and social media outlets, and investigate measures which might counteract the use of AI to mislead or distort public opinion as a matter of urgency.”
3. To ensure TAS benefit rather than damage our society and the economy: Autonomous systems operate in financial systems, optimise and maintain our infrastructure, and add a competitive edge to our industries. However, they can also disrupt existing policy and regulatory frameworks, creating new patterns of winners and losers and spillover effects in other policy domains, as well as potentially causing catastrophic cascading failures. As per [1] “the risk of greater societal and regional inequalities emerging as a consequence of the adoption of AI and advances in automation is very real.” We must therefore take an inclusive approach to the development of TAS, starting with a team with diverse disciplinary, regional, ethical, and societal perspectives.
[1] House of Lords, Select Committee on AI.” AI in the UK: ready, willing and able (2018).