Respondents call for better regulation on the use of robotic technology although 65% saw positive potential
Research released this week found that 75% of those who responded to the study want new UK regulations to better control the use of artificial intelligence.
Some 82% were concerned that artificial intelligence will be misused by organisations.
The research was conducted among 1000 UK consumers, by independent research agency Atomik Research last month.
The study asked who is in the best position to lead on controls. It found that 44% believe the UK government should take the initiative, while 28% would prefer an independent global body to take control. Just 11% wanted the technology industry to head it up and the rest disagreed or were undecided on who should lead.
Unsurprisingly, only 8% believed the EU was best placed to introduce the legislation.
The research did however reveal that despite strong demand for better regulation, 65% of respondents thought that AI has the potential to make ‘a better world.’
Other questions invited views on robotics in transport – 41% were concerned about being driven by a driverless car – and on its use in the workplace – 69% had fears over being “hired and fired by a robot”.
Lucian Floridi professor of philosophy and ethics of information at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, told UKAuthority in an interview earlier this year that when it comes to artificial intelligence, government is “in the driving seat of a very fast car.
“You have to have a design for the environment you want,” he says. “The role of government is remarkably significant, if it wants to pick it up. It should say ‘This is the world we want to live in’ rather than see how it develops and try to regulate afterwards.”
UKAuthority is hosting an event in November, ‘Return of the Bots’, that will pose the question: How can Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, chatbots and Robotic Process Automation be harnessed by the public sector for the public good?
The event is free for public sector delegates.
Watch a video about the last event from UKAuthority on Artificial Intelligence in the public sector.
Read UKAuthority's briefing paper from discussions at its Rise of the Bots event here.
Image by Rolling Dice CC by 2.0 via Flickr
