The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and the Threat to our Human Rights

From Frankenstein’s murderous monster to the malevolent force of the Matrix, science fiction often tussles with the idea of an evil other: a human creation gone wrong.

These creations have so far kept to the world of fiction, with artificial intelligence framed in largely positive terms. Google is the pub quiz master, Siri is on hand to make restaurant reservations and, by 2021, we’ll have our own virtual chauffeurs.

But where is artificial intelligence heading? Could science fiction become reality? And what does this all mean for human rights?

First coined by John McCarthy in the 1950s, the term artificial intelligence (AI) really means machine intelligence. Despite what the movies say, this isn’t about robotics. A robot – like the voice of Apple’s Siri – is simply the personification of the machine.

Tim Urban, creator of the popular blog Wait But Why, says all artificial intelligence can be separated into three bands. These are:

So far, artificial intelligence has not gone beyond the first level – ANI.This technology is embedded everywhere, from the navigation system on your smartphone, to the spam-filter on your email account.

Compared to previous inventions, ANI has evolved, and transformed our lives, at an unprecedented rate. In science speak, this is the law of accelerating returns. Progress made during a set duration of time (say 100 years) accelerates over time (from one century to the next). In everyday terms, it’s why printed maps now seem about as helpful as a telegram.

Despite this progress, the second level – AGI – has not yet emerged. It would require not only an increase in computing power, but also a boost in machines’ intelligence. In other words, machines would need to be able to learn.

Following a worldwide survey in 2013, hundreds of AI experts concluded that 2040 was a “realistic estimate” for the development of AGI. More than 75% of those interviewed believed that the transition to ASI would follow within thirty years of this, so by 2070.

Confused?Don’t be. What this means is that there’s a convincing consensus that machines will acquire human-level intelligence during most of our lifetimes, and that artificial super-intelligence will follow after. The question is not if, but when.

So what might the future of artificial intelligence mean for human rights?

Current discussions about AI focus on the short-term threats posed by its expansion, such as job losses. Studies have found that up to 50% of all jobs are now susceptible to automation, including traditionally ‘safe’ professions such as law, accountancy and medicine.

In a recent public lecture broadcast by Gresham College, Professor Martyn Thomas warned that if displaced workers are not adequately retrained – and if the state does not fairly distribute the wealth generated by a boom in AI – the “social disruption could be enormous.” From a human rights perspective, this could endanger people’s economic, social and cultural rights.

There’s also a danger that personal data retained by machines will be accessed for criminal or political purposes, a reality demonstrated by recent cyber attacks.