Progress in artificial intelligence simultaneously brings unprecedented opportunities to humanity, and considerable threats beyond the singularity that should not be overlooked. One of the most pressing threats has to do with the unchecked AI concentration process that has unfolded in recent years.
Over 250 AI related startups in different industries have been acquired by big corporations since 2012, with 37 acquisitions taking place in first quarter of 2017 alone. Such a trend can lead to another more likely scenario - namely, AI concentration in a few large international enterprises. A society in which the power of AI is left primarily in corporate hands can not only pose a threat to democratic institutions, but also to our modern way of life.
This program aims to shed some light this threat by conducting multidisciplinary and empirical research in order to tackle questions such as: who owns AI today? What is the balance between private and the public sector? What governments and companies are investing more in AI? Which institutions and countries are buying this technology? What is the scale of the current process of AI concentration? What are its economic, political and social implications?
This research program will address the above-mentioned issues by: