World tech leaders called for a pause in AI experiments for at least six months, urging that the AI race has become “out of control.”
Artificial intelligence is rapidly growing, and it’s not showing any sign of slowing down. Maybe few people could predict that a simple conversational AI chatbot called ChatGPT could reshape the whole tech industry quickly. This tremendous growth of AI, however, has now become a source of concern for major tech leaders. They’re now calling for an immediate pause of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.
The ChatGPT parent company OpenAI has recently unveiled its most powerful version of the AI chatbot, GPT-4. Microsoft is trying to incorporate GPT-4 into its Bing search engine, and Google is also following a similar path with Bard.
Tech leaders want AI experiments halted for at least six months
A long list of tech leaders signed the petition, but Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak are among the most prominent ones. They argue that incorporating human-competitive intelligence into AI can pose profound risks to society and humanity.
The letter continues that AI labs are building digital minds that even the creators can barely understand, predict, or reliably control. As a result, AI can flood information channels with misinformation. “Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable,” the letter says.
Signatories also say the six-month pause in AI experiments should be public, verifiable, and include all key actors. If this fails, governments must act and institute a moratorium. Additionally, AI labs and independent experts should step in to develop safety protocols for advanced AI design.
Neither OpenAI nor Google or Microsoft have yet responded to this letter. Meanwhile, James Grimmelmann, a Cornell University professor of digital and information law, says, “A pause is a good idea, but the letter is vague and doesn’t take the regulatory problems seriously.” Grimmelmann also called Elon Musk’s signature “hypocritical” as he wasn’t accountable for the defective AI in Tesla self-driving cars.
2023-03-31 15:09:34