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What is 'AI washing'? “洗AI” 是什么意思？

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What is 'AI washing', and why is it a problem?

“洗AI” 是什么意思？它会造成哪些问题？

Companies are constantly fighting for business and investment, and adding artificial intelligence (AI) can help give them an edge.

公司总是在为了获得更多业务和投资而相互竞争，而使用人工智能（AI）能帮助它们获得优势。

But when companies exaggerate their AI capabilities to stand out – that's called 'AI washing'.

但如果有时某些公司通过吹嘘对人工智能的运用能力来让自己脱颖而出，我们就可以把这种行为叫做 “洗AI”。

Some claim to use AI when they don't, or say their AI tools are more effective than they really are.

有些并不使用人工智能的公司宣称自己使用人工智能，或者夸大它们使用的人工智能工具的能力。

Others just bolt on chatbots to existing products, or use humans to do tasks that they say were done by AI.

还有些公司只是在现有的产品上额外添加一个对话机器人，或者用人工完成那些它们宣称是由人工智能完成的任务。

It's similar to 'green washing' – when firms claim they're doing more to protect the planet than they really are.

“洗AI” 的做法和 “洗绿” 类似——“洗绿” 是指 “某些公司夸大自己为保护地球环境所做出的努力”。

This problem isn't new.

这并不是一个新问题。

Source: MMC Ventures, 2019
A study found 40% of new tech firms describing themselves as AI startups used "almost no AI at all".

数据来源：MMC Ventures 2019
一项研究发现，有 40% 宣称自己是人工智能创业公司的新科技企业 “几乎完全没有对人工智能的” 使用。

Source: OpenOcean
Research suggests the number of companies mentioning AI has been increasing.

数据来源: OpenOcean
还有其它研究指出，声称自己使用人工智能的公司数量正不断增长。

And since everyone's got different ideas about what AI can do, experts say it's easier for companies' misleading claims to go unnoticed.

由于每个人对人工智能的能力都有着不同的理解，专家表示，许多公司误导性的表述会更容易不被人察觉。

Many countries have strict rules and tough penalties for those who aren't telling the truth when advertising. If people don't trust what companies say, it can affect their reputation and investor confidence.

许多国家都有严格的规定和严厉的处罚措施，用于针对在广告语中做假的企业。如果人们不再相信某些公司说的话，这就会影响这些公司的商誉和投资者信心。

But some experts believe overuse of the term 'AI' means, it may lose meaning over time. It could become a bit like saying 'we're on the internet'.

但一些专家认为，过度使用 “AI” 这个词会让它逐渐失去原本的意义。这可能会变得像是在说 “我们在用互联网”。