The Rise of AI Washing: A Threat to the Integrity of Artificial Intelligence

The term ‘AI washing’ has been gaining traction in recent years, and for good reason. It refers to the practice of companies exaggerating or misrepresenting their use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their products or services. This phenomenon has become increasingly prevalent, with many firms claiming to use AI when, in reality, they are using less sophisticated computing or overstating the capabilities of their AI solutions.

“AI does not grow on trees… the technology already contributes more to climate change than aviation. We have to move away from this one-sided overhyped discussion, and really think about specific tasks and sectors that AI can be beneficial for, and not just blindly implement it into everything.” - Sandra Wachter, Professor of Technology and Regulation at Oxford University

The rise of AI washing can be attributed to the growing competition for funding and the desire to appear on the cutting edge of technology. According to OpenOcean, a UK and Finland-based investment fund for new tech firms, the number of startups mentioning AI in their pitches has increased significantly over the past year. However, this trend has led to a disparity between companies claiming AI capabilities and those demonstrating tangible AI-driven results.

One notable example of AI washing is Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology, which was reported to require around 1,000 workers in India to manually check transactions. This raises questions about the extent to which companies are relying on human intervention rather than AI.

AI-powered technology is becoming increasingly prevalent, but how much of it is truly AI-driven?

The environmental impact of AI is another aspect that is often glossed over. The technology already contributes more to climate change than aviation, and the trend of AI washing only exacerbates this issue.

In the UK, rules and laws covering AI washing are already in place, including the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA’s) code of conduct, which states that marketing communications must not materially mislead, or be likely to do so. However, more needs to be done to address this issue globally.

Tech Mahindra’s Project Indus aims to develop a foundational large language model tailored for Indic languages and dialects.

On a more positive note, there are companies like Tech Mahindra that are working on developing foundational large language models (LLMs) tailored for specific languages and dialects. Their Project Indus initiative, which leverages partnerships with Dell and Intel, is a step in the right direction.

Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen LLM has been ranked among the world’s top 10 open-source models.

Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen LLM has also been ranked among the world’s top 10 open-source models, according to AI and machine-learning developer platform Hugging Face. This is a testament to the progress being made in the development of AI technology.

In conclusion, AI washing is a growing concern that needs to be addressed. It is essential to separate fact from fiction and to promote transparency in the development and deployment of AI solutions. Only then can we ensure that AI is used in a way that benefits society as a whole.