AI, inequity, and our choice and agency

Responsible production and consumption will depend on how AI and automation improve resource efficiency, reduce food losses

“Predicting the future is really hard, especially ahead of time,” warns Rodney Brooks, former director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Public conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) is growing, shaping perceptions and impacting policy. How should we anticipate our interactions with technology? What can we influence?

First, recognise that AI and automation will unfold at different speeds within the same economic system. AI has been called the “electricity for the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. AI, big data, automation and quantum computing could fundamentally alter economic progress. Governments are pushing national strategies. China is aiming for AI superpower status by 2030.