Explore diverse perspectives on the global impact of technology, featuring insights from cultures worldwide. Here we look at the geopolitical consequences of technological advancement, highlighting the significance of a global and multicultural discourse on technology’s role.
- In Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, Mo Gawdat (a former Google executive) provides a compelling look at the evolution of AI. Drawing from his Indian cultural background, he underscores the importance of ethical and moral development in AI, rooted in compassion and wisdom. Gawdat warns against the risks of AI advancing unchecked, advocating for proactive measures to harness AI’s potential for good. His perspective combines technological insight with cultural values, emphasizing AI as a tool for collective progress and well-being, underscoring its global impact and the necessity of wise guidance.
- Amidst the well-known Western AI platforms like ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard, non-Western organizations are carving out a niche in the AI world with their own Large Language Models (LLMs). This diversification introduces models such as AfriBERTa, ERNIE 3.0, Krutrim, and Sarvam, marking a significant shift towards inclusivity in AI development. These models are not just technological advancements—they are a recognition of the rich linguistic and cultural diversity across the globe. By incorporating a variety of languages and cultural contexts, these LLMs extend beyond the scope of Western-centric AI, contributing to a more balanced representation in the field. This development is instrumental in paving the way for an AI landscape that is nuanced and representative of the global community, enhancing our understanding and appreciation of different cultures and languages.
- “Uh-Oh: Silicon Valley is Building a Chinese-Style Social Credit System” explores the emergence of a social credit system in the United States, akin to the one in China. The Chinese system, active since 2014, uses surveillance-based technology to score citizens’ behavior, rewarding or punishing actions like support for certain religious groups, financial habits, and social behavior. Similar systems are developing in the US due to Silicon Valley tech policies and private company surveillance raising concerns about its extralegal nature and implications for democracy.