AI can turn the clock back before we know it

This paper outlines intertwined challenges related to three areas: the hype surrounding AI, the consequences of corporate influence on the AI research agenda, and the public sector’s uncritical embracement of AI technologies. We argue that AI can backfire if overconfident predictions influence decisions to introduce AI in high-risk domains. Moreover, the corporate colonization of the AI research agenda may cause a decline in societal trust in science, which is highly problematic considering that AI will increasingly power important domains in society.