Socially responsible uses of artificial intelligence: some key principles national strategies should reflect

Every so often a new phenomenon comes along with scope to transform the world in a pretty significant way. The printing press, automobiles and more recent developments like the internet and social media are just some of the more obvious examples.

Inventions such as these have been largely viewed in positive terms in the sense that they serve to enable society. However, other developments are often deemed as the proverbial double-edged sword. Think nuclear energy.

In certain quarters, artificial intelligence (AI) belongs in that category. Physicist Stephen Hawking is among eminent figures to announce fears that AI could easily be...