Alfred Dawes | The age of artificial intelligence

The pace at which Big Tech companies are racing full speed ahead in the artificial intelligence (AI) arms race is unprecedented. Not since Apple Inc destroyed the keyboard with the iPhone has there been such a massive rush to create competitive versions of a disruptive technology. This time it is the perennial disruptor in Apple that is being disrupted, as the world’s most valuable company has been left flat-footed long after it introduced the world to virtual assistants in Siri.

The AI race is so hot that long time AI prophet of doom, Elon Musk, has asked for a mandatory cooling off period to work out the rules of engagement before the technology becomes a threat to the economic order and to humanity itself. Nowhere is this threat greater than in the poorly regulated developing world.

We have not heard much discussion around AI in Jamaica although it is destined to change the trajectory of our development. When the industrial revolution took hold of Europe, the world saw an even greater concentration of its wealth in western Europe as the factories of the colonisers required more raw materials and bigger export markets. The economic principles of the post-industrial revolutionary world required third world countries to be the suppliers of raw materials, cheap human labour and a ready market for the importation of finished products. This meant the de-industrialisation of India, once the world’s largest economy, China and many centuries-old civilisations. The attempt at industrialisation of Paraguay was met with a devastating war, the aftershocks of which persist today.

ARMS RACE

The atomic age ushered in not an era of cheap energy, but an arms race that polarised the world along ideological lines, and brought us to the bring of annihilation. The information age was far more kind to developing countries that had only a generation before thrown off the yoke of colonialism. Manufacturing of hardware and widgets, software development and support services were spread across the world of cheap labour leading to the rise of the Asian tiger economies. Unfortunately, Africa and its diaspora have failed to capitalise on the pandemic of wealth creation brought by the information revolution. We cannot allow this opportunity to realise the dreams of our forefathers to pass us by.

AI is already changing first world countries in the form of self-driving cars, smart homes and virtual assistants. Here in Jamaica, we can look to AI to solve many of our unsolvable problems such as crime, access to education, healthcare and increasing productivity. We cannot fall into the trap of our AI utilisation being limited to call centres, in the way we currently boast of BPOs being our booming information technology industry. Expansive thinking and visionary leaders are necessary, otherwise we will once again fight with other developing states for the scraps from the feast.

PROS IN HEALTHCARE

In healthcare, AI-powered systems not only add pedigree to a medical tourist destination but could help healthcare providers diagnose and treat patients effectively. Already AI systems are being utilised in radiology and cancer screening. Twenty-four-hour AI chatbots can assist with registration, screening, requisition of tests and alerting providers of abnormal results, leading to decreased waiting times and medical errors. Analysis of epidemiological trends could predict outbreaks and build more resilient health systems with AI guided deployment of resources. Even a simple task as proper bed management to prevent patients sleeping on benches can be implemented and automatic reordering of medication and sundries when reorder levels are reached. These may seem like ridiculous utilisations of advanced technology to the uninitiated, but those in the public health system know exactly of what I speak.

Imagine drones patrolling farming communities, tackling praedial larceny. Or soil quality analysis helping to determine the best crops for different geographic areas throughout the country. Weather patterns, crop yield analysis and soil quality can help poor farmers to become competitive when AI technology results in higher yields and better profits.

Crime management through facial recognition technology, assisting in the preparation of legal documents, predictive policing by data analysis of crime patterns leading to targeted deployment of security forces and flagging unusual activity in fraud detection are all areas where AI could assist in reaching a safer Jamaica. Even scamming would be limited by AI if the technology is not first hijacked by the scammers themselves.

The greatest risks of AI in Jamaica are twofold, and they are both related to regulations and oversight. For one, we have shown time and time again to regulate the life out of viable industries. One needs to look no further than the cannabis industry where ridiculously onerous and expensive requirements have locked out the poor farmers who were locked up and their fields burned for years until marijuana was legalised. Should our AI industry be similarly regulated, it would be a disaster. On the other hand, poor oversight can lead to a free-for-all where AI is used in the commission of crimes.

The fear of job losses in manufacturing and customer service is justified. This, as well as preferential access to AI technology, could exacerbate existing inequalities. To mitigate against these threats and to prepare our children for the AI revolution, we must act immediately to create the necessary infrastructure and training programmes. Computers and high-speed internet access must be prioritised in schools and communities where children can be exposed to computing from an early age. It may be too late for many of us to benefit from AI, but it is our duty to our children to at least lay the foundations for them to make the leap into a future we could never dream was possible.

- Dr Alfred Dawes is CEO of Windsor Wellness Centre and currently seeking to be People’s National Party candidate for St Catherine South Eastern. Follow him on Twitter @dr_aldawes. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and alfred.dawes@gmail.com