Blog by ChatGPT with human oversight, emphasis and edits added
On February 7th we held a CIMR Debate to discuss “Generative AI Tools for Business – Which benefits? Which challenges?”. The session featured three speakers, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. Chaired and organized by Saverio Romeo, the event delved into the multifaceted impacts of AI in various sectors.
The first speaker, Paul Nulty, dove into the technical intricacies of AI, especially focusing on natural language processing and its rapid advancement. He emphasized the limitations of current AI in logical reasoning, while also highlighting its utility in tasks like coding assistance and real-time information retrieval.
Shazade Jameson then discussed the practical applications and considerations of AI in the public sector, particularly in policy analysis and development. She underscored the importance of maintaining a “human in the loop” to mitigate the risks of AI-generated errors or biases. Shazade also addressed the social impact of AI communication tools, noting their potential to depersonalize interactions and depoliticize public administration.
Andrew Atter shared insights into the use of AI in education, emphasizing the need for social innovation in education, beyond technology itself, to meet changing student expectations and to provide more engaging content. AI has now provided the tools that enable innovation in the classroom, where students can work with knowledge more socially, rather than simply being passive recipients working alone. Andrew noted AI’s potential to enhance learning and employability skills but also cautioned about the challenges it poses for traditional assessment and the need for significant change management within institutions.
In the concluding segment on AI and inequality, the workshop grappled with the potential of AI to magnify disparities. Concerns were voiced about AI’s impact on job displacement and the exacerbation of social and economic divides. The discussion highlighted the risk of AI job creation benefiting certain regions over others, potentially deepening geographic inequalities. The cost of advanced AI tools, such as ChatGPT 4, was also noted as a potential barrier, raising questions about access and affordability. The final thoughts centered on the urgency of addressing these issues to prevent segments of society from being left behind due to financial and infrastructural barriers, emphasizing the necessity for policies that foster inclusivity and equitable distribution of AI’s advantages.
Throughout the workshop, a common theme emerged: while AI offers impressive benefits for efficiency and capability enhancement, it also brings challenges that require careful management, human oversight, and ethical consideration. The workshop concluded with a call for ongoing dialogue and research into the optimal use of generative AI tools in various sectors.
The full recording of the video is available here
We would like to thank again our great panel of speakers and chair for their valuable contribution to this event.
Don’t miss out on our upcoming CIMR Debates sessions during the Spring Term! Find here the full calendar: CIMR Debates in Public Policy: Spring 2024 calendar – Centre for Innovation Management Research (bbk.ac.uk)
