The AI Dilemma: Balancing Progress, Security, Privacy
and Information Accessibility

The abbreviation AI became the word of the year of the Collins Dictionary, similarly, the new meaning of the word 'hallucinate' emerged. Artificial intelligence is being actively discussed in 2023. At the end of the year, there was a buzzing discussion among the public, business community, and journalists regarding the situation surrounding Open AI. The air was rife with predictions of its disintegration, conspiracy theories, and unfounded rumors, all of which stirred up a mix of reactions from investors, AI critics, and fervent proponents of a bright future. What does the year 2024 hold for us, and how will humanity adapt to the impending changes?

In 2023, there is a notable rise in public concern regarding future trends and challenges associated with widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). This concern becomes particularly prominent in the latter half of the year and is likely to continue in the same dynamic vein. Unresolved issues surrounding safety, privacy, social responsibility, and job security intensify societal unease. Growing dissatisfaction with the lack of responses from businesses and governments coincides with a rapidly increasing interest in the new possibilities offered by AI in the realms of business, education, and skill acquisition. This dual dynamic highlights the intricate interplay between mounting apprehension and simultaneously surging interest in the positive potential of AI, underscoring the relevance of questions surrounding the development and application of artificial intelligence in society.

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Interest in AI safety and ethics doubled in 2023

In 2023, there is a notable rise in public concern regarding future trends and challenges associated with widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). This concern becomes particularly prominent in the latter half of the year and is likely to continue in the same dynamic vein. Unresolved issues surrounding safety, privacy, social responsibility, and job security intensify societal unease.

Growing dissatisfaction with the lack of responses from businesses and governments coincides with a rapidly increasing interest in the new possibilities offered by AI in the realms of business, education, and skill acquisition. This dual dynamic highlights the intricate interplay between mounting apprehension and simultaneously surging interest in the positive potential of AI, underscoring the relevance of questions surrounding the development and application of artificial intelligence in society.

Tech-powered environmental initiatives are revolutionizing the ESG landscape, propelling us toward a greener and more sustainable future. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, we are not just meeting ESG standards; we are surpassing them, demonstrating how innovation can catalyze positive environmental impact while driving business growth. Our commitment to a harmonious coexistence of progress and planetary health sets the course for a future where responsible practices are the norm, leaving a legacy of sustainability for generations to come.

2023: A Notable Interest concerning Ethics & New competencies in AI

Over the course of 12 months from November 2022 to November 2023, interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has more than doubled, according to Google data. Queries related to the application of AI in business and those associated with education and new competencies exhibited growth during this period.

The interest in business applications and the utilization of AI technologies in the business sector has doubled, experiencing a 130% increase in queries related to acquiring new knowledge and education in the context of AI application. Furthermore, there has been a notable 178% surge in interest concerning new competencies and proficiency in AI.

Simultaneously, the interest in the ethical implications of AI application and issues related to cybersecurity has nearly tripled compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The popularity of these queries correlates with and is temporally associated with major publications on AI and ChatGPT. Data on queries related to cybersecurity and ethics are almost identical.

The number of publications on the topic of AI has grown over a similar period (November 2022 - November 2023), we will see that it has almost quadrupled in the past 12 months. If we look at the number of publications on the topic of the future of work we observe a surge in interest and growth over the past 12 months.

It is also noteworthy that the number of publications dedicated to the topic of AI takeover has increased almost tenfold. Even more remarkable is the significant growth in articles and news related to human safety in the context of AI. There is a steady increase throughout the year, with a surge of over 20 times in November 2023, largely associated with Bletchley Declaration*.

The number of publications related to questions of existence and existential risks in the context of the use and development of AI has significantly increased for the first time in the last two years.

38% of user reactions on social media to these publications were negative. These people were concerned or upset. 43% showed a neutral reaction. Only 19% expressed understanding or a positive attitude. Overall, similar reactions were elicited from social media users by other related topics, including AI safety, the proliferation of AI, ethical questions, data security, privacy, employment, and the usual way of life. Returning to the topic of education and the demand for new skills, professional development courses, online training in AI tools, and working with chatbots – the amount of content dedicated to this topic has grown fourfold in the last 12 months.

At the end of November, an event occurred that deeply concerned society, journalists, and experts - the resignation of the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, and the possible division of OpenAI. Various scenarios were seriously discussed, including potential consequences for all of humanity and the ethical implications of such rapid AI development. We observed that interest in this topic increased to 100 points towards* the end of the month, while interest in ChatGPT, on the contrary, showed a downward trend.

A report on AI in journalism conducted by the London School of Economics found that over 60% of respondents were concerned about the ethical implications of AI in their field. The survey, which included 105 news and media organizations from 46 countries, revealed that while AI is widely used in news gathering, production, or distribution, there are significant concerns about its ethical integration affecting editorial quality and other aspects of journalism. This indicates a broader concern about AI ethics in content creation and dissemination fields​​​​​​​​​​.

Experts from Northeastern University highlighted that AI brings a fresh wave of concerns about privacy and ethics. The conversation around AI is marked by tensions regarding job automation and the need for human involvement in AI processes. Concerns about biases in AI and its potential to reflect societal biases rather than embedding them were noted as pressing ethical questions​​.

A blog post on VMware's site discussed the unpredictable nature of AI development and the limitations of current centralized regulations to keep up with AI’s rapid advancements. The global nature of AI complicates centralized national regulations, leading to a patchwork of global standards and the need for an international framework for responsible AI innovation. It was also noted that AI’s ethical dilemmas extend beyond what regulation can address, affecting societal norms and individual rights, underscoring the role of corporate responsibility in AI development​​