Sinan Aral Speaks About AI for Global Citizens

Can AI help create and connect global citizens? MIT IDE Director, Sinan Aral, thinks it can—when used appropriately. At a recent panel discussion at Global Citizen NOW in New York, Aral described some of the untapped potential for AI in medical discoveries, creativity, and productivity. At the same time, he acknowledged the serious perils of misuse including election manipulation, deep fakes, and AI racial and gender bias that’s often “baked in” to development.

While there is no single regulatory “silver bullet,” Aral said that frameworks for transparency and guardrails are sorely needed despite concerns about losing competitive advantage or revealing trade secrets. “We can’t understand where this technology is taking us  unless we know what’s under the hood and how it’s evolving,” he said.

Watch the full session with Aral, Accenture Song CEO Davaid Droga, and moderator Laurie Segall here.