MIT AI Risk Repository · Risk Sub-Category · 54.04.02
Privatization of AI
Category: Within-country issues: domestic inequality
Description
"Researchers in deep learning and those with greater research impact are more likely to migrate to industry, raising concerns about the “privatization of AI knowledge” [278]. Specically, if the most sophisticated AI approaches become proprietary and are used only within private research labs, then it will be impossible for universities to teach them, let alone contribute to leading research."
From Ten Hard Problems in Artificial Intelligence We Must Get Right (Leech2024 ), as extracted by the MIT AI Risk Repository (CC BY 4.0).
Classification
- Causal entity
- Human
- Intent
- Intentional
- Timing
- Pre-deployment
Subdomain definition: AI-driven concentration of power and resources within certain entities or groups, especially those with access to or ownership of powerful AI systems, leading to inequitable distribution of benefits and increased societal inequality.
Real-world incidents in this subdomain
- LLM Scrapers Allegedly Target Multiple Open Source Projects Disrupting the FOSS Ecosystem
- Coupang Allegedly Tweaked Search Algorithms to Boost Own Products
- Amazon Allegedly Tweaked Search Algorithm to Boost Its Own Products
- Gmail’s Inbox Sorting System Reportedly Reduced Visibility of Political Emails and Campaign Calls-to-Action
- Google Fined for Changing Shopping Algorithms in EU to Favor Own Service
- Amazon India Allegedly Rigged Search Results to Promote Own Products