An FDA for AI approval?

The speed at which artificial intelligence is being integrated into human society is dazzling. Yet, as opposed to medication which undergoes a rigorous regulatory approval process, AI runs free

A couple of months ago I wrote an article on how difficult it is to monitor and approve the development of medicinal drugs (The stuff of nightmares: Why drug approval is so damn difficult now.) We’ve all been paying attention to the increasing presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in our lives and I think to be worried about the unmitigated use of AI in everyday applications is a rational concern to have.  

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

Yes, John Kennedy was right about this. To ignore AI and let it proceed in a chaotic and uncontrolled fashion would be madness for the prospect of our civilisation. It is rapidly transforming various aspects of our lives, from healthcare and education to transportation and entertainment. As AI continues to advance, concerns about its safety and ethical implications are becoming very real. The potential risks associated with AI products have prompted many experts to call for regulation to ensure that they are safe and beneficial for society. One solution is to create a Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to monitor AI products in the future.

Reigning in the chaos

As I wrote previously, the FDA is a regulatory agency in the United States that is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human drugs, vaccines, and other biological products, as well as medical devices, food, and cosmetics. The agency uses a science-based approach to evaluate products and determine their safety and effectiveness before they are approved for use by the public. Similarly, an FDA for AI could evaluate AI products to ensure that they are safe and beneficial for society. It makes a lot of sense.

AI is being used to develop autonomous vehicles, diagnose diseases, and make investment decisions. These AI products are not always subjected to the same rigorous testing and evaluation as traditional products. This lack of regulation can lead to unintended consequences, such as bias, privacy violations, and safety risks. Let alone the effect that uncontrolled AI could do to democracy through social media manipulation. 

An FDA for AI could address these concerns by developing standards and regulations for AI products. The agency could work with industry experts to establish guidelines for the development, testing, and deployment of AI products. This would ensure that AI products are safe, reliable, and effective before they are released to the public. Additionally, the FDA could require manufacturers to provide documentation and data to support their claims about the safety and efficacy of their products.

One of the key challenges in regulating AI products is the rapid pace of innovation in the field. Unlike traditional products that may take years to develop and test, AI products can be developed and deployed rapidly. This makes it difficult for regulatory agencies to keep up with the pace of innovation. However, an FDA for AI could work with industry experts to develop flexible regulations that can adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of AI.

Another challenge in regulating AI products is the complexity of the technology itself. AI products are often based on complex algorithms that are difficult to understand and evaluate by most humans. This is a big problem! The data used to train these algorithms can be biased or incomplete, which can lead to unintended consequences. To address these challenges, an FDA for AI could work with industry experts to develop methods for evaluating the safety and efficacy of AI products. This could involve developing standardised tests and metrics for evaluating AI products, as well as methods for evaluating the quality and accuracy of the data used to train these products.

In addition to regulating the safety and efficacy of AI products, an FDA for AI could also play a role in addressing ethical concerns related to AI. For example, AI products can perpetuate and amplify biases that exist in society, such as racial or gender biases. An FDA for AI could work with industry experts to develop guidelines for addressing these biases and promoting fairness and equity in the development and deployment of AI products. We could even create an AI that monitors AI. With the help of humans. 

An (Ai)FDA could promote transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI products. This could involve requiring manufacturers to disclose the algorithms and data used to develop their products, as well as the potential risks and benefits of their products. Additionally, the (Ai)FDA could require manufacturers to provide regular updates on the performance and safety of their products, as well as any updates or changes to the algorithms or data used to train these products.

Creating an FDA for AI would require a significant investment of resources and expertise across the globe. The agency would need to hire experts in AI and data science, as well as develop new testing and evaluation methods to keep up with the rapid progress. A truly Herculean task, as momentous as the potential bleak future without these regulatory agencies in place would be. 

Let's not lose our soul

Innovation is a powerful tool for progress, but without regulation, it can become a dangerous weapon a la an ax in the hands of a pathological criminal (one without a soul, body or conscience for that matter.) An FDA for AI would ensure that the benefits of AI are realised while safeguarding against unintended consequences.

Ultimately as a species, we need to embrace change and progress, but we also need to look forward and plan for the future. The development of AI products is an example of this kind of rapid change, and the creation of an FDA for AI would help us to plan for a future where AI plays an increasingly important role in our lives while also ensuring that it is safe and beneficial for society.

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We're all just specks of dust in the end

Thanks for continuing to read my friends.

We are entering very bizarre times, but then again haven’t we always lived in bizarre times? Life is life. That is a true statement. All apologies for the temporary hiatus but I hope you’ve enjoyed this last piece.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.

Mauri Ora! More to come soon…. brace yourselves x