Holding AI Accountable
- By BrianFord
- CIN Open Forums
- 7 Replies
I could not agree with Rick more.There are definitely some things in the AI world that are making people defer to it, rather that traditional methods of getting help. However, to me, this seems much like blaming the screwdriver manufacturer for injury because the person stuck the tool in his eye, blaming the fork for obesity, and so forth.
There is a societal epidemic with regards to mental health. That much is so true these days. And while I don't want to get into a long dialogue about mental health, I would often wonder, where was the person's family - since now, they are seeking damages in what they are trying to make as a wrongful death suit. How concerned were they about their own family member who may have been exhibiting signs of paranoid delusion?
One might argue the topics of explainable vs. non-explainable models with respect to AI, but this article seemed to omit any details about Soelberg's (and family)'s responsibility in all this. Is there personal responsibility to be had with respect to human interaction with AI - or is this another example of the woman blaming McDonalds for burns to her lap from spilling hot coffee on it, just because the cup didn't say 'hot'?
There is legislation being offered and considered in several states seeking to 'regulate' AI. If you follow the status of that in California you'll likely find that sponsors have brought in supporter to testify about this and similar cases. I watched some of this testimony offered by parents of an adolescent who took their own life. It was wrenching and I felt for these people. But in the end they acknowledged that they knew this youth had issues. They knew that this youth was spending copious amounts of time using a chatbot. They attempted to intervene; sadly unsuccessfully. But should a state attempt to regulate a technology? Why isn't anyone asking is there a better way to protect people from themselves. When my son was a minor and misbehaved I took his electronic devices away or disabled his account. Why don't parents and loved ones do that?
To move slightly off AI while still on my soapbox. I'm a resident of Florida. It's a great state. But unfortunately a law enforcement trend is to very publicly arrest juveniles who use cellular devices to threaten other youths, make bomb threats, or report imaginary crimes. How do interactions with law enforcement help produce better citizens? They don't. We need to stop criminalizing these children and pursue their parents and guardians.

