The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly widespread in recent years, and with it comes a range of potential privacy issues. AI can be a powerful asset, but it can also pose a threat to data security and personal information. The main privacy concerns associated with AI are the possibility of data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information. As data is collected and processed, there is a risk that it could fall into the wrong hands, either through hacks or other security breaches.
AI can also generate personal data without the person's permission, and facial recognition tools are invading our privacy, leading many countries to call for a ban on their use. As Congress examines comprehensive privacy legislation to fill the growing gaps in the current federal and state privacy framework, it will need to consider whether and how to address the use of personal information in AI systems. Ethical debates about artificial intelligence and privacy tend to focus on questions about how a “right to privacy” can be balanced with the benefits of allowing companies unrestricted access to user information, and on which regulatory scheme is likely to offer the best overall outcome. It is possible to argue against this line of reasoning by pointing out that people's privacy is harmed when digital information is collected about them, even if no person accesses it, because the artificial intelligence involved generates a profile of the person that could be considered equivalent to the type of perception that a person can form. As AI advances, the ability to use personal information increases in ways that can interfere with privacy interests by taking the analysis of personal information to new levels of power and speed. Microsoft, Amazon and Intel are providing general and unrestricted support to The Brookings Institution's Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative (AIET), which is studying key regulatory and governance issues related to AI and proposing policy solutions to address the complex challenges associated with emerging technologies. Companies should consider security risks if they use systems based on artificial intelligence or machine learning to improve business operations. In conclusion, AI can be a powerful asset but also poses a threat to data security and personal information.
It is important for companies to consider security risks when using AI-powered systems, as well as for governments to consider how best to regulate AI-related activities. Ethical debates about artificial intelligence and privacy should focus on balancing a “right to privacy” with the benefits of allowing companies unrestricted access to user information.
