Amba Kak is the executive director of the AI Now Institute. She has published a report that sketches AI policy recommendations to address the social and ethical implications of AI. The report, titled “AI Landscape: Diagnosis and Action”, was released in April 2023. It aims to update and assemble civil society actors who are concerned about the impact of AI on human rights, democracy, and justice.
The report recognizes four key areas of concern:
- the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few tech giants
- the lack of transparency and responsibility of AI systems
- the discrimination and harm caused by biased and flawed algorithms.
- the erosion of privacy and autonomy due to pervasive data collection and surveillance.
The report also offers tangible policy solutions for each area, such as breaking up monopolies, regulating AI use in high-stakes domains, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, and strengthening data protection and consent mechanisms.
Kak has over 15 years of experience in technology policy across government, industry, and civil society. She said that the report was inspired by the need to challenge the narratives of predictability and awareness around AI and to empower people to shape the courses of technology to serve public interests. Kak said that the report was based on the insights and expertise of the AI Now Institute’s researchers, who are drawn from various disciplines such as computer science, law, sociology, and media studies.
The AI Now Institute was founded in 2016 by Microsoft researcher Kate Crawford and NYU professor Meredith Whittaker. It is a research center that examines the social consequences of AI and promotes the responsible and reasonable use of AI. The institute has been significant in raising awareness and sparking debate about the issues and risks posed by AI, such as facial recognition, automated decision-making, and algorithmic accountability.
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