In an age where AI is increasingly defining the customer experience, understanding the inner workings of these technologies has never been more crucial, especially for marketers.
A recent Bloomberg report has shed light on the training of the human workforce in Google’s Bard chatbot, highlighting the integral role of thousands of contractors in shaping this AI tool’s responses.
This in-depth report uncovers the realities of AI development and presents important implications for the people who use it.
The quality, accuracy, and reliability of AI-driven interactions can impact brand reputation, customer trust, and ultimately your bottom line.
As we delve deeper into the human processes behind Bard’s AI chatbot, we gain valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead for companies leveraging AI in their marketing strategies.
A look at the AI boot camp
Google’s Bard is known for its fast and confident answers to various questions.
However, anonymous contract workers reveal to Bloomberg that behind this AI prowess is the work of frustrated humans.
These contractors, from companies such as Appen Ltd. and Accenture Plc, work to tight deadlines to ensure chatbot responses are reliable, accurate and free of bias.
Working under pressure
These contractors, some of whom earn as little as $14 an hour, have come under increasing pressure over the past year as Google and OpenAI compete in an AI arms race.
Tasks have become more complex and workloads have grown, often without contractors having specific expertise in the areas they are reviewing.
An unnamed contractor said:
“As it is now, people are scared, stressed, underpaid, they don’t know what’s going on. And this culture of fear is not conducive to achieving the quality and teamwork that you want from all of us.”
The role of contractors in training AI
The contractors’ role is to review the AI’s responses, identify errors, and remove potential biases. They work with complicated instructions and tight deadlines, often as short as three minutes.
According to documents shared with Bloomberg, contractors are often asked to decide whether AI model responses contain verifiable evidence. They analyze responses for factors such as specificity, freshness of information and consistency.
An example from the Bloomberg report talks about how an evaluator might use tests to determine the correct dose of a blood pressure drug called Lisinopril.
Contractors must ensure that responses do not contain harmful, offensive or overly sexual content. They must also protect themselves from inaccurate, misleading or deceptive information.
Highlighting the human factor behind AI
While AI chatbots like Bard are considered groundbreaking technological advances, the truth is that their effectiveness depends on the work of human contractors.
Laura Edelson, a computer scientist at New York University, tells Bloomberg:
“It is worth remembering that these systems are not the work of wizards, but the work of thousands of people and their poorly paid work.”
Despite the integral role of contractors, their work is often shrouded in mystery and they have little direct communication with Google.
Concerns about the quality of AI products
Contractors are raising concerns about their working conditions, which they believe could affect the quality of AI products.
Contractors are an indispensable part of AI training, as Ed Stackhouse, an Appen employee, stated in a letter to Congress.
Stackhouse warned that the speed required for content review could make Bard a “flawed” and “dangerous” product.
Google responded to these concerns by stating that it does a great job of building its AI products responsibly, using rigorous testing, training and feedback processes to ensure reality and reduce bias.
While the company says it doesn’t rely solely on human raters to improve the AI, it has noted that small inaccuracies can be introduced, which could mislead users.
Alex Hanna, Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute and former Google AI Ethicist, said:
“It’s still troubling that the chatbot gets the main facts wrong.”
A call for change
Despite growing concerns about working conditions and the quality of AI products, it is clear that human contractors are an essential part of AI development.
The challenge is to make sure they are adequately compensated and given the resources they need to do their jobs.
Emily Bender, a professor of computational linguistics at the University of Washington, emphasized this point, saying:
“The work of these contract workers at Google and other technology platforms is a story of labor exploitation.”
As the AI revolution continues, the role of human contractors in shaping and refining these technologies will remain vital.
Their voices and concerns must be heard and addressed to ensure the continued development of reliable, accurate and ethical AI products.
Featured image: Maurice NORBERT/Shutterstock
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