It seems no discussion about artificial intelligence doesn’t at least reference the science fiction-based view of a robot apocalypse. While that idea is firmly rooted in American popular culture, the Federal Trade Commission takes a more practical perspective on AI.

According to a recent FTC Technology Blog post, ”speculation about human extinction is well beyond the FTC’s immediate concerns. Instead, the FTC focuses on AI through the lens of our consumer protection and competition mission.”

For consumers and business owners alike, the implications of artificial intelligence are substantial – and growing.

“Consumers are encountering AI systems and tools, whether they know it or not, from customer service chatbots, to educational tools, to recommendation systems powering their social media feeds, to facial recognition technology that could flag them as a security risk, and to tools that determine whether or on what terms they’ll get medical help, a place to live, a job, or a loan,” the FTC blog states. “Because there is no AI exemption from the laws on the books, firms deploying these AI systems and tools have an obligation to abide by existing laws, including the competition and consumer protection statutes that the FTC enforces.”

While legislation and regulation of AI is mostly still in the discussion stage, the FTC said ensuring users of artificial intelligence comply with existing statutes and regulations.

“FTC staff can analyze whether these tools violate people’s privacy or are prone to adversarial inputs or attacks that put personal data at risk,” the blog post states. “We can also scrutinize generative AI tools that are used for fraud, manipulation, or non-consensual imagery, or that endanger children and others. We can consider the impacts of algorithmic products that make decisions in high-risk contexts such as health, housing, employment, or finance. Those are just a few examples, but the canvas is large.”

One area of interest for the agency is investigating deceptive claims about AI from companies.

“The FTC has brought a number of cases involving deceptive claims that an AI product would help people start a business or make money,” according to the blog post. “Each case illustrates how the FTC’s enforcement efforts encompass both the claims that companies make about their own products and services and the actions they take to ensure that they do not cause harm to consumers and violate laws enforced by the Commission.”

SOURCE: Federal Trade Commission