A DOOMSDAY scenario caused by artificial intelligence is ‘highly unlikely’ and Jersey has an opportunity to capitalise on the technology’s development, the head of the Island’s Cyber Emergency Response Team has said.
CERT director Matt Palmer – who is responsible for leading the Island’s response to cyber threats from other countries, organised crime and hackers – is one of the 1,300 tech experts to have signed a letter calling AI a ‘force for good’.
The open letter from BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, also highlights the opportunity to develop a ‘responsible’ AI industry.
Mr Palmer said: ‘Jersey, in particular, has a huge opportunity to capitalise on the development of responsible artificial intelligence. AI leads to high-value roles in tech, cyber and law that can drive economic growth and provide interesting and rewarding careers for Islanders.
‘Whilst we do not have the scale of larger jurisdictions we are excellent at bringing together specialists to create trusted and well-regulated environments. AI carries significant risks that will need to be managed, and Jersey’s expertise in compliance, regulation, law, and technology puts us in a strong position. We can also act faster. What is needed is a focus on how this can best be achieved.’
Earlier this year, Digital Jersey head Tony Moretta said that AI could boost Jersey’s declining workforce productivity and help address recruitment shortages.
Mr Palmer cited a reduced regulatory burden on the finance sector as an example of how AI could improve economic output in the Island.
‘With AI, the tasks we do can change – if a computer can potentially do them for us imagine the work that could be available if you took away the need to deal with routine tasks.
‘If you imagine all of the regulatory rules that apply to financial services, as well as contractual obligations and legal rules such as GDPR, being able to cut through that and find the answers quickly is a huge enabler for both industry and consumers,’ he explained.
Addressing concerns that AI could run rampant and cause a potential doomsday scenario, Mr Palmer said such an outcome was ‘highly unlikely’.
Similar fears were also portrayed in the latest Mission Impossible film, or as Mr Palmer described it, ‘Mission Implausible’.
‘It doesn’t mean that [AI] is without risk, it is just that the risk will need to be managed responsibly,’ he continued.
Earlier this year it emerged that the Education Department is developing ‘guidelines and procedures’ for the use of artificial intelligence in schools amid fears that text-generating chatbots such as ChatGPT are helping students to cheat.
‘The reality is that any technology can be used for good or bad, it is humans that pose the risk in terms of how we use it and history has shown that,’ Mr Palmer added.
Do you think AI is dangerous? Or is it a ‘force for good’? Have your say – write a letter to the editor by emailing editorial@jerseyeveningpost.com
