Artificial Intelligence - Are there any social obstacles? : An empirical study of social obstacles

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence is currently one of the most talked about topics with regard to technical development. The possibilities are enormous and it might revolutionize how we live our lives. There are talk of robots and AI removing the need for human workers. At the same time there are also those who view this as deeply troublesome. Either from an individual perspective, asking the question what we should do once we do not need to work more? Or from an existential perspective, raising issues of what responsibilities we have as humans and what it means to be human? This study does not aim to answer these grand questions, but rather shift the focus to the near future of three to five years. Yet, there is still a focus on the social aspects of the development of AI. What are the perceived greatest social issues and obstacles for a continued implementation of AI solutions in society? To answer these question interviews have been conducted with representatives for the Swedish society, ranging from politicians, union and employers’ organizations to philosophers and AI researchers. Further a literature study has been made of similar studies, comparing and reflecting their findings with the views of the interviewees. In short, the interviewees have a very positive view of AI in the near future, believing that a continued implementation would go relatively smoothly. Yet, they pointed to a few key obstacles that might need to be addressed. Mainly there is a risk of increased polarization of wages and power due to AI, although stressed that it depends on how we use the technology rather than the technology itself. Another obstacle was connected to individual uncertainty of the development of AI, causing a fear of what might happen. Further, several different ethical issues were raised. There was an agreement that we need to address these as soon as possible, but they did not view this as an obstacle.