As the UK Government gets set to merge human DNA with Artificial Intelligence – metaphorically, at least via the AI Opportunities Action Plan – we look at why AI is no substitute for the sensitive human touch, unless you want to take a permanent trip to the Uncanny Valley.
If the existence of said ‘Uncanny Valley’ is a mystery to you, let us explain it in a nutshell: The phrase “Bukimi no Tani,” which translates to “valley of eeriness”, was coined by Japanese roboticist, Masahiro Mori in 1970. Now it denotes the sense of unease – even abhorrence – that human beings experience when phenomena that appear human (but are NOT human) confront them.
The expressions of AI which mimic human creations in any format – the written word, art or realistic robots, for example – are notorious for triggering a sense of discomfort, unhappiness, or unease in those who witness them, which is bad news if you want to drum up support for your company or brand.
The corporate world, whilst it embraces AI to fulfil repetitive tasks and help with productivity, also highlights AI as a risk factor in the realms of media, software and technology, for the reasons cited above multiplied by the much wider margin for error inherent in unchecked machines spreading news.
AI’s are severely limited by phenomena such as hallucinations (ie, something totally made up and unreal) or biases caused by uneven available data. You would also want to avoid feeding sensitive data of your own into a pool that might afford unchecked access to any number of others. You can’t secure your information or IP if you’ve fed it to an AI that’s plugged into the web.
In part two of our series on AI, we’ll be looking at why the Human Touch is so important in public relations. Read here.
Image by BoliviaInteligente