UK wants AI sans power to destroy human beings
London, April 16: The autonomous power to hurt, destroy or deceive human beings should never be vested in Artificial Intelligence (AI), said a UK parliamentary report on Monday.
It is essential that ethics take centre stage in AI's development and use, said the House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee's report -- AI in the UK: Ready, Willing and Able?
The report said that a cross-sector AI Code should be established, which can be adopted nationally and internationally.
Suggesting principles for such a code, the committee said that AI should be developed for the common good and benefit of humanity and that it should operate on principles of intelligibility and fairness.
AI should not be used to diminish the data rights or privacy of individuals, families or communities, the report said.
Moreover, all citizens should have the right to be educated to enable them to flourish mentally, emotionally and economically alongside AI, it added.
"AI is not without its risks and the adoption of the principles proposed by the Committee will help to mitigate these," said Lord Clement-Jones, Chairman of the Committee.
An ethical approach ensures the public trusts this technology and sees the benefits of using it. It will also prepare them to challenge its misuse," he added.
It is not currently clear whether existing liability law will be sufficient when AI systems malfunction or cause harm to users, and clarity in this area is needed, said the report.
In its report, the committee also pointed out that many jobs will be enhanced by AI, many will disappear and many new, as yet unknown jobs, will be created.
Warning of the dangers of a few technology firms dominating AI development, the report said that greater competition is required in this segment.
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Bangladesh Supreme Court acquits former prime minister Khaleda Zia
Dhaka, Jan 15: Bangladesh Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, overturning the High Court’s earlier 10-year prison sentence.
The verdict was delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed after reviewing 79-year-old Zia’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling on Wednesday, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
The Supreme Court acquitted Zia, the party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and all other suspects in their appeal over the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, the report added.
The Appellate Division noted that the case was motivated by revenge.
Zia was sentenced on February 8, 2018, by Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5 to five years of imprisonment for alleged embezzlement of government funds in the name of the Zia Orphanage Trust.
The same verdict handed down 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for five other accused, including Zia's son Tarique and former chief secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui. Each of the accused was also fined Tk2.1 crore.
Among the accused, Tarique, Siddiqui, and Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman have remained absconding.
Zia appealed the trial court’s verdict to the High Court, but the sentence was increased to 10 years by a High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman on October 30, 2018.
Zia subsequently filed a leave-to-appeal petition against this sentence.
Following years of delays due to legal procedural issues and a lack of initiative from lawyers, the Appellate Division accepted Zia’s leave-to-appeal on November 11, 2024.
The court also stayed the High Court’s 10-year sentence pending the final hearing of the appeal.
After concluding the hearing, the Appellate Division announced its decision to acquit Zia, officially clearing her of the charges in the case.
Zia is ailing and travelled to London earlier this month for medical treatment.
Zia served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006.
