‘Computer Says No’ 

We’ve been looking for ways to address the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence over the last several months at New Mexico in Focus. This week we’re happy to share a two-part interview from NMiF Correspondent and KUNM News Director Megan Kamerick, who spoke with two computer science experts who’ve played an active role in crafting state legislation. One of the big themes you’ll hear from both UNM’s Dr. Melanie Moses and Dr. Cris Moore from the Santa Fe Institute is transparency. But there’s a bit more nuance to that word in this context than how we traditionally think of it in relation to government function.  

Instead of probing human decision making as journalists have done for centuries, AI necessitates a different approach that unless formally required by government, might even be outside the understanding of the creators of specific AI models. And when government decides to use AI to make decisions that can impact the lives of New Mexicans, things could get especially hairy. Moore explained the problematic dynamic like this:  

“If the government makes a decision that affects your life, that says, ‘No you’re not eligible for this social service’… or maybe, ‘We’re going to carry out some punitive action on you,’ I think you as a citizen in a democratic society deserve a pretty clear explanation of why. And it’s not OK for the person on the other end of the line to say, ‘Nope, computer says no.’”  

That’s one of many concerns posed by the professors during this week’s show, another being the use of biased data with the intention of creating an AI model capable of unbiased decision making. Moore contends it’s not possible. Just this summer, he spoke with the state Legislature’s Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee about AI and biased algorithms and how using data from a historically biased criminal justice system would inherently create biased decisions — when considering whether to release a defendant ahead of trial or in other situations.  

It’s all somewhat frightening, but thankfully we have experts like Moore and Moses working to make sure we stay ahead of it. While this conversation might lead to more questions than answers, they are all questions we should each spend time thinking about as this technology branches out into other aspects of our lives.  

I hope you enjoy the show.  

-Lou DiVizio, Senior Producer