Harriet Pearson, a cybersecurity expert and CEO of Axia Advisory LLC, spoke to a packed audience at Shepherd University on Tuesday night about the implications of widespread artificial intelligence use. In her lecture titled “Science Fiction or Fact? Artificial Intelligence Risk and What To Do About It,” Pearson aimed to demystify AI for the audience.
She explained that AI has a broad definition, encompassing anything where computers perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Pearson drew upon her extensive experience as a cybersecurity and data governance consultant and adjunct lecturer at institutions like UCLA School of Law and Georgetown University. Pearson shared that the history of AI dates back to the 1950s.
She explained, “AI is about data—you’re gathering information and then you’re using software that performs mathematical calculations based on certain rules. That’s an algorithm, and the algorithm operates on the data.”
Addressing the various risks associated with AI, Pearson stated, “There are literally thousands of risks. What goes into the box where the AI is operating?
Understanding AI risks and biases
What comes out—what does the output do or what is it capable of doing? That’s really at a system level.
And then, broader than that are the system-wide risks—how do you govern that?”
Pearson noted that every industry will be affected by AI, both positively and negatively. She highlighted that detail-oriented sectors like medicine and law are likely to be slower in adopting AI technology due to its potential inaccuracies. She also emphasized the risk of inherent bias in AI data, asking, “Is data free from bias?
What makes that data free of any of the inherent biases that we have as humans, whether it be gender or race or something else?”
Another significant issue Pearson pointed out is the inaccuracies and potential fabrications that can occur if the data is incomplete. She said, “For every error or gap in information, there can also be malfeasance—was the data poisoned? I’ve worked a lot on cybersecurity specifically, and this is one of those areas that’s a nightmare we worry about.
What happens if bad actors deliberately poison information or inject incorrect information?”
For the public, Pearson offered simple advice on interacting with AI: “Be very careful,” stressing the importance of this caution, especially in an election year with AI-generated images and information spreading misinformation about political candidates online. The evening concluded with a mingling session where community members and students had the opportunity to discuss the lecture further with each other and with Pearson.
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