Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges in a world that is unable to accept it. This technology enters a world where, over the past two decades, the necessary foundations for the responsible deployment of such powerful technology have been systematically destroyed. Institutional authorities, shared truth, and the integrity of information have been severely compromised, and we are creating the most complex cognitive technology in human history based on a background of distrust.
Era of Distrust
A decade ago, there were concerns about living in a "post-truth" world. The term "post-truth" was chosen as the word of the year 2016 by the Oxford Dictionary and refers to a condition where objective facts have less influence on public opinion and personal feelings and beliefs prevail. Now, we live in a period that can be called the "era of distrust": a world where the mechanisms for building trust have been severely damaged.
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Information Challenges
Over the past two decades, our information ecosystem has changed dramatically. We have moved from a world where truth was selected by editors and distributed by a number of credible intermediaries to a world where anyone can publish, amplify, distort, or fabricate information. Data has increased significantly, and social media has fragmented audiences. Algorithms have focused on capturing attention and creating sensational news rather than accuracy.
Specifically, in the United States, trust in the federal government has declined from over 70% in the late 1950s to less than 20% today. Trust in mass media has also decreased, with less than a third of Americans trusting them to a "considerable" extent. Religious institutions, financial systems, health organizations, and even science have faced declining trust.
Now, artificial intelligence enters a world where information is abundant, but trust is severely lacking. The timing of this technology's emergence is very sensitive because the data it is given has been produced in a world of distrust. AI is trained on our news, social media, and digital information, absorbing not only our knowledge but also our distortions and conflicts.
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