This is a great book.
Art Kleiner is one of the most clear thinkers on the relationship between technology, business and culture. In his latest book, co-authored with Juliette Powell, “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology”, Powell and Kleiner develop a unique, clear picture of responsibility and its absence in today’s world of machine learning(ML). They use the phrase “algorithmic, autonomous, and automated systems” (dubbed Triple-A systems) which elevates the discussion from ML to the higher plane of disciplined societal decisions. These decisions are almost always blurred into only one of the four logics. But I get ahead of myself here. Powell’s rich background and prior works bring a framing that reflects her deep knowledge and the power of collaboration.
Although I’ve been working in the machine learning field for decades, I was moved by several major dimensions that the authors surfaced and elaborated. To be brief, 3 such dimensions were (1) the Four Logics of Power, (2) the concept of the desire for control, and illusion of control, and (3) the importance of loose coupling. All three are essential frameworks and are often overlooked in the AI discussions that are often dominated by the techno-optimism of the promise of tech, most recently large language models (LLMs) and the GPT models that use them. With respect to loose coupling in healthcare AI, as a former regulator during the ARRA/HITECH era, I saw many unintended consequences of tight coupling introduced through well-intended legislation, such as a failure to incorporate usability and safety adequately and incorporating existing user centered design principles. These risks recur with the application of AI to healthcare delivery.
The book contains eight essential chapters:
Introduction: Machines That Make Life-or-Death Choices
1 Four Logics of Power
2 Be Intentional about Risk to Humans
3 Open the Closed Box
4 Reclaim Data Rights for People
5 Confront and Question Bias
6 Hold Stakeholders Accountable
7 Favor Loosely Coupled Systems
8 Embrace Creative Friction
Conclusion
In closing, the authors call out how rapidly the world of Triple A Systems is evolving, and “we may need to write a sequel.” There are aspects of human intelligence, employment, and human group theory that I would like to see expanded. A starting point would clearly be extensions from two earlier and seminal books by Kleiner, “Who Really Matters” and “The Age of Heretics”. The current book lays out a great foundation on those topics. Society does not run purely on intelligence, AI(s) or humans. There dimensions of this in every prior Kleiner book and Powell’s earlier work, and the relevance with the introduction of AI/ML is extremely relevant.
For example, another pair of authors, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson contemporaneously released “Power and Progress…” which lays out the conditions under which new technology like AI helps labor, as well as the opposite. It is from an economist's' perspective. This is developed in this Powell and Kleiner book, in part under the Four Logics of Power, ‘Corporate logic’, ownership, markets and growth.’ There’s clearly an opportunity, perhaps in the sequel, to build further on the beneficent opportunities that are realistic to pursue, as a societal and wise responsibility.