Letter to Dr. Ferraiolo

maladapted intelligent systems

In the context of evolutionary biology, Maladaptation refers to the inability of an organism to adapt to changing circumstances in a way that is beneficial for survival or success. In the context of intelligent systems or artificial intelligence, maladaptation could refer to the failure of the system to adapt to new inputs or changing conditions, which could lead to errors or incorrect outputs.

Thinking about maladaptation in artificial intelligence and intelligent systems, I realize there could be potential consequences of deploying a system that cannot adapt to changing circumstances. The impacts of maladaptation can be far-reaching, affecting individuals, society, and even the broader economy, particularly in sociotechnical systems.

In critical decision-making scenarios, a maladapted system can lead to errors and incorrect outcomes, potentially harming individuals. Furthermore, if the system is trained on biased data, it can perpetuate existing social inequalities and biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes and reinforcing existing power imbalances in society.

The potential impacts of a maladapted system go beyond individual and societal harm, eroding trust in the technology and the institutions that deploy it. This can have broader implications for adopting and accepting AI systems in society.

Considering the potential impacts of maladaptation in AI systems, I firmly believe that it is essential to mitigate them through robust training protocols, validation procedures, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. By doing so, we can ensure that AI systems are developed and deployed in a responsible and ethical manner, with the potential to bring positive benefits to individuals and society as a whole.