Don’t write people off just yet amid the rise of AI technology, says SHARON WHITE
When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak landed on British soil on his return from Washington, he added one more thing to his to-do list: to help save the world from the robots.
The Prime Minister has pledged to work with President Biden on artificial intelligence security as part of the Atlantic Accord signed in the US capital two weeks ago.
AI is the latest frontier for tech companies to advance humanity, but it also has a dark side.
Don’t write people off just yet, says Sharon White, president of the John Lewis Partnership
Together, the US and UK have the clout to ensure that a number of international standards are established.
Some of the world’s leading tech companies have said they still need to fully understand the behavior of their emerging AI systems.
When the most fervent proponents of a new technology call for regulation, we should pause and heed.
It will take time – something many cautious voices in AI say we don’t have.
AI will save or end humanity, experts say, but either way, the UK has a rich history of technological innovation and will lead the way.
Regulations will play an important role in ensuring that AI is safe.
Effective regulation can help provide certainty, which in turn supports investment and innovation.
If you move too fast, you risk stifling innovation. Move too late and you risk damage to the consumer.
Regulations will play an important role in ensuring AI is safe, says Sharon White
Algorithm discrimination is also a real problem to manage.
Of course, AI is not new. While Chat GTP went public last year, most industries have been using AI for many years.
John Lewis opened the UK’s first automated warehouse in 2009. Many companies followed.
But for our company, AI will never replace the uniqueness of human connection and senses.
Robots will never surpass the creativity of our chefs who come up with new food combinations where taste, smell and touch are so crucial to the experience of our food or the creativity of our John Lewis designers.
The John Lewis Partnership is a business built on human relationships and emotional connections.
The chance moments we get when we meet people – the personal touch in the way we serve our customers.
Human connection is why the partnership is based on trust and closeness with our customers who feel they have a stake in the company.
That comes from our employees – or Partners as we are called – who own the company.
Of course, companies must embrace new technologies to modernize and meet customer needs.
The John Lewis Partnership has a history of betting on innovation – we came before many in online retail.
AI helps ensure that our inventories flow through the company in the most efficient way.
It will also help make our customers’ lives easier by making recommendations on which products they might like based on their preferences.
But we will always choose the power of human connections, creativity and senses.
For a human-centric company like ours, the robots won’t take over, so don’t write off the humans just yet.
Sharon White is Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and a former Chief Executive of Ofcom