Morality and artificial intelligence?

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you read the words ‘artificial intelligence’?  Do you think of an algorithm that could solve climate change, or of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey? Be honest. 

My point is: AI has become a loaded term, as has data. People are weary, even fearful, of new technology – but then, that’s nothing new. According to one study, 47% of people believe the rate of technological innovation is happening too fast. And today, only 56% of us actually trust AI. Really that’s because, for the vast majority of people, AI remains a mystery. And its human nature to fear the unknown. Most of us understand AI through the lens of popular media – and filmmakers have really given it a bad rep.  

data analytics and AI. Are we sleepwalking towards a Black Mirror-style surveillance state? Will intelligent machines replace us in the workplace? Are social media companies using data to brainwash us?

Ultimately, it boils down to a lack of understanding about the technology – and that’s equally true in the business world. While the democratization of artificial intelligence has made businesses more aware of the technology, there remains uncertainty around how to implement it and, more importantly, why it really matters. 

I recently spoke to a room full of IT service management staff and decision-makers, R&D managers and solutions architects at Smart IoT London – people on the font-line of innovation everyday – and I told them to go out and save the world. If you th