Let’s not make the same mistakes with AI that we made with Social Media

A decade ago, social media was lauded for inspiring democratic movements globally. Today, it is criticized for fostering misinformation, conspiracy theories, and mental health issues. In a 2022 survey…

Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) is the new frontier, with the potential to reshape the world in both positive and negative ways. The lessons from social media’s unregulated evolution are directly relevant to AI companies and technologies. By learning from past mistakes, we can better navigate the future of AI.

1.Advertising

Advertising’s dominance on the internet began as a necessity, with no efficient micropayment systems and users unwilling to pay for services. This led to a reliance on advertising, which in turn prioritized engagement above all else. AI is poised to continue this trend, with major tech companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon all betting on AI to enhance their advertising capabilities. They claim AI will optimize ad performance and personalize user experiences, but this borders on manipulation. The greatest risk lies in AI chatbots embedding ads into conversations, making it hard to distinguish between genuine recommendations and paid promotions.

2.Surveillance

The drive to personalize ads has led to increased surveillance. Social media platforms collect extensive user data to demonstrate their ad-targeting capabilities. AI-powered platforms will face similar pressures, likely leading to even more invasive data collection practices. The promise of personal digital assistants will require intimate knowledge of users’ lives, increasing the potential for manipulation and data misuse. Even without voluntary data sharing, AI technology can infer personal details through seemingly innocuous interactions.

3. Virality

Social media’s global reach allows users to instantly broadcast ideas, often prioritizing sensational and divisive content to maximize engagement. This dynamic fuels misinformation and societal discord. AI exacerbates this issue by automating content creation and dissemination, making it easier to spread falsehoods. AI-generated content, combined with bot-operated social media accounts, can simulate widespread support for misleading information, further distorting public perception.

4. Lock-in

Social media companies make it difficult for users to leave their platforms by hindering data portability. This concept of lock-in, familiar from other tech sectors, reaches new heights in social media, where social connections and personal history are hard to abandon. AI personal assistants will likely create similar barriers, becoming indispensable due to their deep integration into users’ lives. This makes switching to a competitor service unattractive, reducing market responsiveness and encouraging poor corporate behavior.

5. Monopolization

The network effects of tech platforms foster monopolistic tendencies, with a few firms dominating the market. This pattern is repeating with AI, as companies like OpenAI, backed by tech giants, rapidly grow in power and influence. These monopolies exploit users, prioritizing profit over societal good. Despite the recognized harms of social media, meaningful regulation remains elusive, and the same risks apply to AI.

Mitigating the Risks The risks posed by AI are familiar, but it’s not too late to act. Unlike the early days of social media, we now understand the potential consequences. The biggest mistake was allowing social media to remain largely unregulated, a situation we cannot afford to repeat with AI. Regulation, transparency, and accountability are crucial.

Governments have powerful tools to mitigate corporate risks, starting with regulation. This includes activity restrictions, transparency rules, and oversight mechanisms. Antitrust laws can preserve competition, preventing any one company from becoming overly dominant. Regulations supporting data portability and interoperability can also enhance competition and reduce lock-in.

Advertising regulations should be enforced to control how AI platforms interact with advertisers. Additionally, developing public-option AI tools with democratic oversight can provide alternatives to corporate-controlled AI, ensuring that these technologies serve the public good.

Conclusion The stakes with AI are higher than they were with social media, affecting not just communication but many aspects of daily life. By learning from past mistakes and implementing thoughtful regulations, we can navigate the future of AI more effectively. The conversation about these solutions is crucial and must happen now, before AI becomes as entrenched as social media.

Credit: This article references insights from Nathan E. Sanders & Bruce Schneier’s work, originally published in MIT Technology Review.

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