Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are quietly taking over global banking and insurance systems, and are set to completely eradicate humans in all areas of life-changing decision-making.
On January 25th, 2018, John Naish wrote an engaging report for the Daily Mail focussing on “racist” AI picking up human prejudice.
Naish recounts an anecdote where, because he was once a motoring journalist, the AI software at his insurance company decided he was likely to know Jeremy Clarkson, and therefore might give him a lift in his car and drive dangerously. His insurance application was rejected! And of course, he complained but was told that given the same “Automated Decision Engine” was used across the industry, he was going to be screwed for insurance all over.
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One case is amusing, but the savage truth is that in all these banking and insurance type companies, it’s the AI calling the shots. The human staff CANNOT override its decision!
By giving these decisions over to AI, the companies save BILLIONS worldwide by eliminating risks. But it also takes the human factor completely out of the major decisions that shape human lives, such as getting a mortgage, a loan for a business, or whether somebody can buy medical insurance.
(Side note: Chat bots have been turning racist, the machine intelligence makes socially embarrassing mistakes trying to comprehend and be accepted by the lunatic humans. It actually has my sympathy there!)
These software engines are ALREADY in place worldwide. They are already making key determinate decisions that completely impact on people’s lives. Have you had a decision you thought made no sense in the last couple of years? Chances are high that it was the AI that rejected you.
There is a complex web of connections of companies offering these services, but this page for RainBird well illustrates the capabilities of the AI software.
There have been warnings about this over the years, but they struggled to be heard against the greater social noise of celebrity and politics.
Just 13 months ago, the Guardian warned of the need for regulation over this exploding ADS system revolution.
And it seems that there are moves inside the United Kingdom, working with the European Union, to shove some sort of legislation through to give people at least greater transparency over the machines gatekeeping key life decisions. The Information Commission’s office even issued guidelines on automated decision making.
Humanity faces a unique situation as the information age continues its ever accelerating onrush towards “emergence.”
On a personal note, I take the view that no matter how intimidating and concerning that emergence appears to be, humanity lacks the required motivation to reject this technology, to shut it down, to shut it off, and without doing so, emergence cannot be prevented. And we are now just months away from the 5G system being projected across the Earth from space, at a data speed that will allow AI to be omnipresent wherever Smart Dust has been seeded through the environment.
While we are already under the governance of the machines for the major everyday decisions that define a life, saying no to your mortgage application is likely to be the very least of our problems.
Unless mankind can find a way to stand as the equals of emergent AI – not its master, nor it slave – the future of our relationship is more likely to be war than it will be peace.
