The world is facing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution. Data can be likened to crude oil in that it fuels the AI engine. PwC estimates that AI will contribute 15.7 trillion dollars, or a 26% increase, to the global economy by 2030. As the world moves towards a new age of automation, world leaders and governments must consider both the positive and negative ramifications of this new technology.

While AI has immense potential to solve problems and provide creative solutions, there has been a lack of transparency and accountability in cases where it has created biases against underrepresented people and communities. We must identify the pitfalls and potential consequences of AI to develop harmonious policies that will enable rapid innovation while protecting the vulnerable citizens of the world.

As AI proliferates the world with automated decision-making across all sectors, it does so oftentimes with data given and generated by users in exchange for seemingly free services. While this paradigm has yielded tremendous growth, it has its flaws. Citizens need a reasonable understanding of the agreements they make with large tech companies when signing up to use their services.