Enterprises must raise AIs like children: Accenture

Accenture has suggested that AIs can be a force for good when taught from the ground up, like children.

The advice was part of the launch of Technology Vision 2018, the latest report from Accenture, based on research with 6,300 IT and business executives from 25 countries.

The principle findings: 

1. Raising AIs responsibly will introduce a powerful new add-on to the workforce.
2. Immersive experiences due to AR, VR and MR are changing how people connect.
3. Businesses must battle biased and manipulated data to shield from defeatist insights.
4. Companies must shift away from legacy systems and reinvent themselves.
5. Overhauling existing data architectures will usher in the era of intelligence.

While the report found that respondents from Singapore were more optimistic regarding AI and digital transformation, compared with global averages, it cautioned restraint during the planning phase.

Sam Liew, MD of the technology practice for Asean, advises his clients to pace AI projects through a five-step process so the system knows what to learn and what to ignore.

Picture of slide presented by Accenture's Sam Liew at Technology Vision 2018

For AI systems to be a force for good, Liew recommends enterprises pace their pilot projects and teach their As to learn in a controlled environment, communicate its findings, form unbiased opinions, reflect values of the sponsor or creator and comply with government regulations.

The advice comes on the back of recent AI failures from the likes of Facebook and Microsoft, including the latter's release of a bot that learned about humans from Twitter, only to turn into a raging racist within hours.