AI as a System Technology

Abstract

Abstract Now we know what AI is and have seen how the technology has made the transition from the lab to society in recent years, we turn our attention to the process of embedding AI into society. What is required to incorporate AI into our society? To answer that question, this chapter presents a framework within which AI can be viewed as a particular type of technology, namely a system technology, with a number of historical precedents. By viewing AI in this way, we can draw various conclusions from the history of other system technologies. That in turn provides a basis for reflecting on what we need to do with AI and how we can address the many issues associated with it. It is not our intention to imply that history always repeats itself or that technological development has deterministic characteristics. We do not set out a rigid framework but identify general patterns that shed light on the present, while recognizing that the past and the present differ. By adopting this approach, we seek to look beyond the current situation and thus beyond the whims of the day.