A Century Long Commitment to Assessing Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Society

TL;DR

The AI100 project conducts a century-long, periodic assessment of AI's societal impact, providing insights to guide policy, research, and industry in various urban domains.

Contribution

This paper introduces the AI100 longitudinal study, detailing its origins, methodology, and key findings from the inaugural report on AI's societal effects.

Findings

AI impacts transportation, healthcare, and employment sectors.

The report highlights both opportunities and challenges of AI adoption.

Ongoing efforts aim to monitor AI developments over the next century.

Abstract

In September 2016, Stanford's "One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence" project (AI100) issued the first report of its planned long-term periodic assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society. The report, entitled "Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030," examines eight domains of typical urban settings on which AI is likely to have impact over the coming years: transportation, home and service robots, healthcare, education, public safety and security, low-resource communities, employment and workplace, and entertainment. It aims to provide the general public with a scientifically and technologically accurate portrayal of the current state of AI and its potential and to help guide decisions in industry and governments, as well as to inform research and development in the field. This article by the chair of the 2016 Study Panel and the inaugural chair of the AI100 Standing Committee describes the origins of this ambitious longitudinal study, discusses the framing of the inaugural report, and presents the report's main findings. It concludes with a brief description of the AI100 project's ongoing efforts and planned next steps.