AI Now 2017 Report - AI Now Institute

Summary

The AI Now 2017 Report is an annual assessment from the AI Now Institute examining the social implications of artificial intelligence, focusing on labor and automation, bias and inclusion, rights and liberties, and safety and critical infrastructure. It synthesizes research findings and policy recommendations across these domains, highlighting urgent challenges posed by AI deployment in consequential sectors. The report calls for greater accountability, transparency, and interdisciplinary oversight of AI systems.

Key Points

• •Warns against deploying AI in high-stakes domains (criminal justice, healthcare, welfare) without adequate testing, transparency, or accountability mechanisms.
• •Highlights systemic bias and discrimination risks in AI systems, particularly affecting marginalized communities, and calls for diversity in AI research and development.
• •Recommends that government agencies conduct impact assessments before deploying AI systems affecting public rights and services.
• •Argues that AI safety must encompass social and political harms, not just technical failure modes, broadening the scope of what 'safety' means.
• •Calls for stronger worker protections and labor rights frameworks in response to automation-driven displacement and surveillance in workplaces.