AI at Four Kitchens, part 2: The risks and hidden costs of AI

• Biased data and training leading to biased outcomes. If ‌AI systems are fed biased data, or if the humans training the AI systems introduce their own biases, then the AI system will be biased. Garbage in, garbage out. This can result in AI systems that make unfair or discriminatory decisions. For example, a study by the University of California, Berkeley found that AI systems used to predict recidivism rates were more likely to predict that black defendants would commit crimes again than white defendants, even when the black defendants had no criminal history!
• Misinformation and manipulation. If an AI system is deliberately trained with bad data or “hacked” using methods like prompt injection, it could be used to spread misinformation or to cause harm. Additionally, AI systems could be affected by malicious actors to influence people’s behavior or to make decisions that are not in their best interests.
• Unanswered ethical questions abound. For example: Who is responsible if an AI system makes a mistake? Who owns the data that is used to train AI systems? Who owns the content generated by AI? How can we ensure that AI systems are used for good and not for evil?
• Environmental impacts of AI. AI systems require a significant amount of electricity for computing and water for cooling. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that training a single AI model can produce as much carbon emissions as five cars over their entire lifetimes.
• Financial implications of maintaining and updating AI systems. These systems are constantly evolving, and new updates are released regularly. Businesses that use them need to invest in ongoing training and maintenance. This can be a significant cost, especially for small businesses.

This image was generated using this prompt: A vibrant, dramatic, pixel-art, retro gaming-style illustration. The left side of the image showcases the potential for artificial intelligence to revolutionize many industries and improve our lives in countless ways. The right side of the image highlights the AI’s shortcomings, risks, and hidden costs — and everything we fear about AI. In the center, a pixellated and stylized banner: “AI.”

While AI has the potential to revolutionize many industries and improve our lives in countless ways, we should be aware of its shortcomings. With careful planning, implementation, and maintenance, many of AI’s pitfalls can be anticipated and avoided.

If you’re interested in learning more about integrating AI into your website projects, we encourage you to reach out to us.

This image was generated using this prompt: A dramatic pixel art scene depicting five characters of diverse gender, race, and ethnicity, dressed in business-casual attire, standing amidst a chaotic landscape of broken electronics and paper debris. The characters display expressions of confusion and concern as they navigate the disarray. A towering, foreboding server farm looms in the background, casting a dark shadow over the scene. The environment is brimming with intricate details, such as floating platforms, billowing smoke, hanging cables, and a mesmerizing digital cityscape in the background.