[Paper Review] Gathering Strength, Gathering Storms: The One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100) 2021 Study Panel Report

Michael L. Littman, Ifeoma Ajunwa+15 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 27, 2022

Ethics and Social Impacts of AI142 citations

TL;DR

The AI100 2021 panel assesses AI development and its societal impact, answering 14 questions on risks, public perception, and the field’s future, and noting AI’s rapid move from lab to daily life with increased urgency to study potential negative effects.

ABSTRACT

In September 2021, the "One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence" project (AI100) issued the second report of its planned long-term periodic assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society. It was written by a panel of 17 study authors, each of whom is deeply rooted in AI research, chaired by Michael Littman of Brown University. The report, entitled "Gathering Strength, Gathering Storms," answers a set of 14 questions probing critical areas of AI development addressing the major risks and dangers of AI, its effects on society, its public perception and the future of the field. The report concludes that AI has made a major leap from the lab to people's lives in recent years, which increases the urgency to understand its potential negative effects. The questions were developed by the AI100 Standing Committee, chaired by Peter Stone of the University of Texas at Austin, consisting of a group of AI leaders with expertise in computer science, sociology, ethics, economics, and other disciplines.

Motivation & Objective

• Assess critical areas of AI development and its risks to society.
• Understand AI's effects on people, institutions, and public perception.
• Forecast future directions and governance needs for the AI field.

Proposed method

• A 17-member, interdisciplinary study panel conducted a structured assessment.
• The panel answered 14 questions crafted by the AI100 Standing Committee.
• Analysis integrates computer science with sociology, ethics, economics, and other disciplines.
• The report builds on a long-term, periodic evaluation framework for AI and society.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What are the major risks and dangers associated with AI development and deployment?
• RQ2 How does AI affect society, institutions, and public perception?
• RQ3 What are the potential negative effects of AI, and how can they be understood and mitigated?
• RQ4 What is the future trajectory of AI research, policy, and governance?
• RQ5 How should the AI field respond to emerging challenges as AI moves from labs to everyday life?

Key findings

• AI has made a major leap from the lab to people’s lives in recent years.
• There is an increased urgency to understand the potential negative effects of AI.
• The report emphasizes risks, governance needs, and societal impacts as central to AI development and policy.
• Public perception and ethical considerations are integral to evaluating AI’s trajectory.
• A multidisciplinary approach is essential to anticipate and address AI’s future challenges.