In a stunning declaration that has left many shocked and bewildered, Vice President Kamala Harris, during a meeting with civil rights leaders and consumer protection experts, made a series of improbable statements about artificial intelligence (AI). Known for her often glib and arguably uninformed commentary, Harris has once again drawn attention to herself, not for the sophistication of her understanding, but rather for the seemingly odd way she chose to describe one of the most critical technological fields of our era.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Harris attempted to summarize AI for the room. “AI is kind of a fancy thing,” she said. “It’s two letters. It means artificial intelligence.” This strained explanation, coming as it did from the same woman who holds the second highest office in the country, was neither wholly informative nor scientifically accurate. At this point, reactions ranged from the mildly bemused to the outright incredulous. After setting the stage with her definition, Harris ventured further down a rabbit hole of confusion.
KAMALA: "AI is kind of a fancy thing…it's two letters! It means artificial intelligence!" pic.twitter.com/6qm58BoST8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 12, 2023
“But ultimately, what it is, is it’s about machine learning — and so the machine is taught,” Harris continued. The VP’s pedagogical perspective offered a simplistic tenet of AI, but failed to fully encompass its complexities, including concepts like deep learning, neural networks, and its multitude of applications from healthcare to security. Her limited definition also overlooked the fact that the data machines are taught with greatly affects their subsequent decisions and opinions, thus underscoring the need to input unbiased, factual, and comprehensive information.
Harris, however, seemed more preoccupied by the determination of what information should be fed to these machines – an area potentially laden with political bias and ideological manipulation. The Vice President’s concerns appeared to mirror her party’s broader anxiety around preserving ideological homogeneity across American culture and institutions, including technology. Could it be inferred that Harris and the Biden administration dream of a woke AI indoctrinated with their preferred brand of political thought – an AI incapable or unwilling to question the administration’s record or the state of the country under its helm?
Imagine, for a moment, an AI that mirrors the status quo propagated by the liberal establishment, an AI programmed to believe in and spew out only the narrative favored by the Democratic party. Such a scenario casts a long, chilling shadow over the principles of free speech, open discourse, and objective intellectual inquiry that are the bedrock of our society. Worse still, it raises significant questions about the potential for misuse of AI as a tool of political propaganda – a frightening prospect, indeed.
Our society’s future depends on the impartial use of AI, and no political party or ideology should monopolize its narrative. AI, by definition, is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. When mischaracterized or co-opted by those with political agendas, this sophisticated technological tool risks becoming an echo chamber for one-track thought and ideology. Harris’s remarks not only reveal a worrying lack of understanding about AI’s reach but also suggests an interest in tipping the scales of AI’s objectivity in favor of her party’s ideological beliefs.
In a world increasingly mediated by technology, it is alarming if a fundamental lack of knowledge about AI is being compounded by an apparent desire to harness it for ideological advantages. Free, impartial learning and discourse are essential for a healthy society. Future technological development, particularly in AI, must be guided by this principle – not by the partisan whims of political actors.
In a time of mounting crises, from unprecedented inflation to growing global tensions, what America needs is a clear, unbiased assessment of its reality – something which can be provided by impartial AI. If the remarks by Vice President Harris are any indication, the highly promising field of AI seems to be contracting under the weight of political bias. The potency of this sophisticated technological tool should not be directed by partisan viewpoints but harnessed to deliver objective, accurate, and unbiased information crucial to informing public opinion and resolving the country’s challenges. As our society continues to evolve, the misuse of technology for ideological leverage must not become the new normal. It’s not about preserving policy agendas but about upholding the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
