With the acceleration of a new round of technological revolution driven by big data and artificial intelligence, AI has become a buzzword. Previously a term confined to the field of computer technology, it is now being used in a cross-disciplinary fashion, combining psychology, philosophy, art, design, and other areas.

At a recent panel discussion on the social and economic impact of AI, organized by the Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy, Anthony Marshall, director of the IBM Institute for Business Value Research, spoke about IBM’s development of AI to create greater value for enterprises in a range of industries.

Xue Lan, dean of Tsinghua University's School of Public Policy and Management, and Fu Zhiyong, a professor of information art and design at the Tsinghua Academy of Art and Design, also joined the discussion, which was moderated by Qi Ye, director and senior fellow of the Brookings-Tsinghua Center.

The panelists touched on how AI could trigger a new round of rapid development and how to recognize and evaluate the commercial value of AI. They also debated the challenges AI will pose to the existing policy structure and the opportunities it will bring for the further optimization of China's development structure. The discussion further explored AI from the perspectives of regulation, public policy, and technical and information design, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Marshall interpreted the role and importance of AI from the perspective of cognitive computing, focusing on the impact of technology and digital innovation across the business functions, and how AI affects business strategies and customers, fully affirming the role of AI in improving the efficiency of decision making.

“AI is a tool that can make inferences and interaction to improve the efficiency of decision-making. However, it does not take the place of human decisions," Marshall said.

He said IBM research in the field of AI in China in recent years shows China’s cognitive innovators need to develop their own capacities and use cognitive technology to exploit more business value.

Fu said that from a design perspective, the tremendous applicability of AI requires computational and interdisciplinary design. AI can serve as a platform for innovation with many implications, he said, citing one report that estimated AI would affect at least 88 percent of designers within the next five years.

The application of AI in visual design has made remarkable achievements in its development, reaching similar functional levels as the human brain, and it will gradually become the core of technology in the field of design, Fu said. AI may restructure the current design field to a large extent, so it is particularly important to increase investment in scientific research in this area.

Xue said approaches to driving AI technology and creating the right routes for enterprises and industries should be explored.

He said China has become a leader in this “fourth industrial revolution”. Chinese companies such as Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba and iFlytek have invested extensively in their development of proprietary AI technology and are, in many ways, global leaders in their fields. He emphasized China’s development direction, outlining two aspects of AI development that should be considered.

The first one is moral responsibility. He said China should care more about social aspects involved in the application of AI, focusing on how AI technology like robotics affects employment and how China can correctly develop and exploit these technologies with international partners.

Xue said that as the leading power in AI technology, China has a moral responsibility to ensure its decision-making on AI is rational and based on science.

Second, from a public policy viewpoint, AI’s market-driven tendencies should be married with policies and governmental guidelines to ensure its ethical use and development.

Xue said the complexity of AI’s interplay and network effects mean international collaboration will become important in the most well-devised plans and solutions. It is necessary to formulate specific policies and measures to support scientific and technological innovation, he said.

AI’s effects on society are national responsibilities, but they can also be personal ones. According to research by the IBM institute, executives in China are among the world leaders in recognizing individual responsibility in addressing changing times.

However, the role of the government as a manager cannot be replaced in any country, according to Xue. Government can be the main driving force in helping the development of AI and in addressing potential risks responsibly.

For instance, AI relies on masses of data and information, and protection of privacy depends on government rules.

Qin Tianyuan is an intern at China Watch.

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