Does Al Need Dog-Walkers? The 'Human In The Loop' Vacuum

Supervision, context-mapping, interference, guidance, ethical compass - there's a lot that humans are needed for when we deploy Al. But what kind of humans? Are they enough? And would they matter?

The neighbourhood park tells it all. Look at an old person sitting on the bench. There is a reason why that grandma looks down upon new stuff. It's not always due to resistance or hatred. It's more out of hesitation and confusion. And out of the fear of being irrelevant.

But this park also has a dog-walker. Patiently or grudgingly, holding the leash. Waiting for the pet to do its job. And not far away somewhere, standing next to a swing, is a parent or a Big Brother/Sister watching over a young sibling - making sure they do not run too fast in their excitement to play.

As Al tackles criticisms about being easily prone to bias, accidents and lack of context; there is an unmistakable, and strong, case being made for 'humans in the loop'. Specially as Al, in some cases, is still a dog that needs its owner about. Yet, in some cases, it is a confident child that should better not be interrupted as s/he swings towards the sky.

The question about a 'human in the loop', hence, boils down to this-is it just a helpless-clueless grandma looking for being useful in a strange world or a super-granny whose wisdom is still precious and indispensable? How helpful would the human in the loop' part be? And who are these 'humans'? Where are they? And what do they need to learn?

TOO YOUNG TO BE LEFT ALONE

We all have heard enough stories, read enough opinions and interpreted enough findings to comprehend that even the best of algorithms are not free of in-built, and unintentional, prejudice. We have seen how even the most sophisticated Al systems can fall flat in the real arena. They are stripped of context, and starved of the human discretion. Discretion that can bring precious value due to years of intuition and reflexes that have been built over years of experience.