AI companies could be more transparent to help users make informed choices
TORONTO - Ask Meta Platforms Inc.'s head of artificial intelligence research how the technology could be made safer and she takes inspiration from an unlikely place: the grocery store. Supermarkets are filled with products that offer key information at a glance, Joelle Pineau says.
“That list of ingredients allows people to make informed choices about whether they want to eat that food or not,” explains Pineau, who is due to speak at the Elevate tech conference in Toronto this week.
Challenges in AI Transparency
Reflections on the state of AI come as the globe is awash in chatter about the future of the technology and whether it will cause unemployment, bias and discrimination and even existential risks for humanity. Governments are working to assess many of these problems as they edge toward AI-specific legislation, which in Canada won’t come into effect until at least next year.
Tech companies are keen to be involved in shaping AI guardrails, arguing that any regulations could help protect their users and keeps competitors on an even playing field. Still, they are wary regulation could limit the pace, progress and plans they’ve made with AI.
The Importance of Transparency
Whatever form AI guardrails take on, Pineau wants transparency to be a priority, and she already has an idea about how to make that happen. She says legislation could require creators to document what information they used to build and develop AI models, their capabilities and, perhaps, some of the results from their risk assessments.
Research suggests there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to transparency in AI. Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centred AI analyzed how transparent prominent AI models were in May by using 100 indicators including whether companies made use of personal information, disclosed licenses they have for data and took steps to omit copyrighted materials.
Call for Standardization
At Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, there has been a commitment to open-source AI models, which typically allow anyone to access, use, modify, and distribute them. Meta, however, also has an AI search and assistant tool it has rolled out to Facebook and Instagram that it does not let users opt out of.
A more standardized and transparent approach used by all companies would build trust and force companies “to do the right work” because they know their actions are going to be scrutinized.
While the average person might not feel excited by the kinds of data she imagines organizations being transparent with, Pineau said it would come in handy for governments, companies, and startups trying to use AI.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.
