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Artificial Intelligence. New Frontiers, Old Problems

Internet and digital technologies have greatly influenced public and personal life in the past few decades; now, artificial intelligence seems to be gearing up to be the next scientific and technological dynamic transformation that will challenge society.

Reflecting on Past Lessons and Future Challenges

In this AISSR lecture, Tufekci reflected upon lessons from the internet, digital technology and mobile revolution and considered how they may apply to artificial intelligence. She also examined the new twists and challenges brought about by the latest technologies like Large Language Models such as ChatGPT and developments in machine learning. 

Beyond Superintelligence: Short to Mid-Term AI Concerns

While many commentators are focused on potential existential risk from “superintelligence” or the potential for these technologies to help solve human problems such as in medical sciences, the short to mid-term issues are more likely to stem from the application of these tools at scale to mundane and existing problems in decision-making primarily because of low cost and availability. In other words, the big impact will not because machines can now do facial recognition better than humans, but that they can do it well enough, cheaply and at scale of billions.

Such technologies are going to be deployed at the hands of the powerful, and can also influence the fabric of society in profound ways. Managing this transition requires a viewpoint that prioritizes the public interest at the intersection of the sociological and technological.

About Zeynep Tufekci

Prof. Zeynep Tufekci is a professor at Princeton University, where she is the Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs. She is also a columnist for the New York Times and WIRED. Tufekci made a name for herself as a ‘sociologist of technology’ during the popular uprisings that took place in the Middle East in the 2010s. While many scientists were overly optimistic about the role of social media in democratisation and others were outright cynical, Tufekci had a balanced, informed and sharp analysis right from the start.

Initially, she mainly explained her theories and analyses on her blog and social media. In 2017, her book Twitter and Tear Gas (Yale University Press) was published – it is now considered a modern classic on both social media and social movements. In it, Tufekci presents an original and compelling theory of digital social movements. She is also known for her publications on COVID-19. Here too, her involvement mainly began on social media as well as traditional media, eventually culminating in a series of scientific articles in leading journals such as The Lancet, Science and PNAS.

‘In her columns and on social media, Tufekci distinguishes herself by extensively scientifically substantiating her ideas,' according to honorary supervisor and AISSR academic director Justus Uitermark. 'Tufekci not only means a lot to her field of sociology, but also to science in general and to journalism as well.'

Aftertalk

This AISSR Lecture was followed by an aftertalk with Thomas Poell, Professor of Data, Culture & Institutions at the University of Amsterdam.