An AI Walks Into a Bar...

If you are a sentient human, you probably recognize the headline of this post as the set-up for a million jokes and puns.  (If you are not a sentient human: welcome to the chat!)  The linked article, from the BBC, follows efforts to have an AI generate jokes worthy of a stand-up comedian's live performance.  Along the way, the article gives a great overview of how common AI tools work today and how they can present legal problems for people who use them (or who depend upon their output).  It's also just an interesting read.

WHY IT MATTERS

AI is the “next big thing” in technology and is being used already in settings as diverse as ordering a burger at a drive-through to making coverage decisions for health insurance purposes.  AI cannot exhibit judgment yet; it is essentially an odds-maker.  The better its source materials (and algorithms), the better the odds it will produce good output.  But the source material may be faulty, leading to bad outcomes; or it may belong to a third party, meaning the AI provider or user could be inadvertently stealing someone's IP.  For any small business owner considering using AI in the enterprise setting, these questions are all part of the diligence that should accompany any purchasing decisions, as well as implementation plans inside the company (who can use the tool, and for what).