Who would have thought that the war between innovation and ethics would have such a soap-opera feel to it?

Just imagine this: on the one hand, we have our bright new AI technology chock-full of possibilities and ease of use. On the other hand, hiding behind the scenes is the ethical conundrum, questioning brows and flicking fingers.

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil,” Albert Einstein stated, “but by those who watch them without doing anything.” In the realm of AI, this is all too true. AI machines have the potential for great things — predicting trends, diagnosing diseases, and even driving cars.

It’s all very futuristic until you remember that these same machines can also entrench bias, infringe on privacy, and give us a world where algorithms decide what society does. According to the World Economic Forum, as AI has the potential to enhance global productivity, it also threatens serious ethical dangers, such as entrenching existing inequalities.

In this back-and-forth between progress and ethics, who’s keeping the score? For a dose of reality, take a look at how facial recognition technology is currently used not only to unlock your phone but also in surveillance. While it can increase security, it brings with it ethical concerns regarding privacy and consent. Are we willing to give up our privacy for convenience? And what do we do when AI systems make incorrect identity interpretations, resulting in discriminatory profiling?

If you’re fascinated by the ethical storm brewing around AI, and liked what you read here then  you’ll like more insights all mentioned in “Sixth Sense: A Guide to Navigating the AI Revolution in Healthcare.” apparent by its name, the book provides a sobering glimpse into how AI has developed in healthcare.

As we welcome innovation, it’s important to question where we’re going. The future is bright, but let’s not stumble blindly into a world where technology gets out of control.