Analytics let us question the data, which in effect questions the world around us. This let us understand, monitor, and shape the world. AI let us discover connections, predict the possible futures and automate tasks. These twin technologies can change the world around us. On one hand, make us efficient, connected, and fulfilled. At the same time, the change of status quo can replace jobs, affect lives and build biases into our systems that can marginalize millions. In this talk, we will discuss core ideas behind analytics and AI, their possible impact, both good and bad outcomes, and challenges.

1. Srinath Perera
VP Research, WSO2
srinath@wso2.com
Analytics and AI: The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly

2. Predictive Analytics
2
Machine learning
• Given examples build a
program that matches those
examples
• We call that program a
“model”
• Major improvements in last
few years (e.g. deeplearning)
Can you “Write a program
to drive a Car?”
2

3. AI: History
• Perception Tasks
• Voice recognition ( Siri, Google
Agent, Amazon Echo)
• Language Understanding ( ?? )
• Video recognition ( ?? )
• Cognitive Tasks
• 1999 IBM Deepblue beats Chess
Champion Kasparov
• 2011 IBM Watson beats human
champion in the quiz show
Jeopardy
• 2016 Deepmind’s AlphaGo beats
Go Champion Lee Sedol
3

4. AI: Status Quo
• Hitting Human
performance in voice,
translation
• Auto Driving
( Google, Tesla)
• Chatbot Lawyer
• AI generated Art
4

5. Good
• AI may be the next revolution
to propel human’s to next level
• Replace manual Jobs
• Age of abundance ( better
food, cloths, health,
education to all)
• Universal Basic Income
• We might be able to work
only 4 hours a day
5
Compared to pre-industrial
revolution, most of us eat better,
have better cloths, live better and
longer than the royalty in 18th
Century

6. To understand, we
need to pick a time
• Short Term (5 years) -
Concerns right now
• Medium (10-20 years) -
Concerns of wider
application
• Long term - Where does
everything leads
6

7. Bad>Short Term: Bias
7
It is very hard to debug
the models and know
what it will do (e.g.
Stock Market flash
crashes)
Example: Model to
decide who to hire
• Our models
inherit our
biases
• Models will
enhance
current status
quo.
• Not enough
data means
low rank

8. Bad>Short Term: Other 0.01%
• AI tells 99.99% of the time you will
• Commit a crime
• Does not pay back the loan
• Does not do well in life
• What if you are the 0.01%
• Also 0.01% is pushed to be 99.99%
• Filter bubble
• Suggestive advertisements ( what if they show
you more cigarettes because you are in the
profile)
• Idea that you are not in control ( Where is free
will?)
8

9. Bad: Medium
Term: Jobs
• Autonomous diving will
wipe out lot of Jobs
• Amazon Go will wipe
out more
• Even professionals seem
to be in trouble
( Lawyers, Doctors)
• So are Artists
9
Is there anything useful left
for us to do?

10. Bad: Medium Term>Possible Futures
10
Case 2: AI is owned by all (e.g.
governments)
• Use wealth to give a UBI
• Focus on larger goals to give humans
direction ( explore the universe)
Case 3: We can out-law AI and try
to contain it. Unlikely to work long
term
Case 1: What if there is
N companies doing all
AI, robots
• How can other humans pay for
services?
• Resources will run out
• A war will come sooner or later

11. Bad: Medium Term>There is Hope
• Humans might start thinking beyond day to day running earth
• Lot of work is interfacing: finding the data, asking questions
• Human interactions, human made will have a premium (e.g.
hand loom)
11
• Best work can be done
by human + AI
• Most decisions are made
without full information
=> leadership
• New Jobs ( e.g. AI
phycologists)

12. Bad: Medium Term>Injustice of Status Quo
• Same time Status quo is not great. Many do not have
• Healthy food ( AI and automation might do it)
• Best health care (AI can do it)
• Best education (AI can do it)
• Best legal support (AI can do it)
12
Is it fair to hold the status Quo and
let them suffer?

13. 13
Evil AI:
Why
should I do
what
humans tell
me?
Parental AI:
these humans do
not know what
is good for them,
I will protect
them from
themselves!
Ugly: AI Armageddon
Unconcerned AI: I need to explore the universe and
to do that I need all metals and energy in earth

14. Can’t we build a Safe AI?
• Asimov’s three Laws
• Keep power with humans
• Problem is that it is very hard
formulate the requirement
• Safety of humans might means
AI keep us in cages
• Happiness of Humans might
mean put us in our own matrix
• Peace might mean wipe out
everything
14
For more detail https://
www.ted.com/talks/
stuart_russell_how_ai_might_make
_us_better_people

15. Possible Futures
15
AI and Humans will
merge
(e.g. Brain computer interfaces)
We figure out a limited use of AI
(e.g. Advisory role or a servant role
such as Asimov three laws)
We keep AI out
AI takes over
( that will be the
end)

16. Conclusion
16
We need to start think about Jobs
changes and transitions
However, it is a economic and
political problem, not a technical
problem!!
Don’t panic yet, we are not even close to general AI
or self aware AI
With luck there is enough time before a threat is
eminent
Bias and other
immediate
problems are
real

17. Questions?