ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: THE DANGERS OF AI. "WE BUILD A MONSTER."

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral component of various aspects of our daily lives, ranging from virtual personal assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to music and TV subscription services. While the potential benefits of AI have attracted many individuals to explore its potential for social good, there are also concerns regarding its potential misuse. These concerns are particularly relevant in the development of AI systems with specific functions, such as self-driving cars. Currently, narrow AI systems designed to perform a single task are not capable of acting independently and are designed solely to enhance human efficiency.

Dr. Stuart Russell, a pioneer in the field of AI, has been at the forefront of AI research for decades. According to Russell, while the potential applications and developments in AI are exciting, the development of autonomous weapons and the replacement of humans in economic roles are deeply concerning. The possibility of superhuman AI, which can perform multiple tasks exceptionally well and learn and think like humans, or even exceed human intelligence, raises the concern that machines may become smarter across the board and develop general-purpose capabilities. This hypothetical scenario, where AI becomes the dominant form of intelligence on earth, with computers or robots effectively taking control of the planet away from the human species, has become a significant point of controversy in the public imagination.

The risks associated with building systems that are more intelligent than humans are not immediate, but it is crucial to start thinking about how to keep those systems under control and ensure that the behaviors they produce and the decisions they make are beneficial to humans. The development of an AI kill switch, a technology that prevents AI systems from taking control of their own destiny, has been proposed as a potential solution to preserve human control. However, the development of a misprogrammed superintelligence, which is smarter than humans in solving practical problems, may resist shutdown and modification, outwitting its human operators.

Russell has proposed the development of oracles as precursors to superintelligent AI. An oracle is a hypothetical AI designed to answer questions but is prevented from gaining any goals or sub-goals that involve modifying the world beyond its limited environment. The oracle could provide answers to difficult moral and philosophical problems and determine how human values translate into an engineering specification for superintelligence. This would make it possible to know in advance whether a proposed superintelligence design would be safe or unsafe to build.

Russell has also proposed a new human-computer relationship to solve the problem of superintelligence. He believes that AI can amplify human intelligence and provide tools that make humans much more intelligent than they have been, leading to a golden age for humanity with the potential elimination of disease, poverty, and the solving of the climate change problem. While the potential benefits of AI are significant, it is crucial to ensure that the downside does not occur.

During a recent interview, Elon Musk expressed his apprehension regarding the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to result in the downfall of civilization. Despite his involvement in the expansion of AI through his various companies, including a rumored new venture, Musk maintains that AI poses a greater threat than mismanaged aircraft design or faulty car production. He has consistently cautioned against the dangers of AI, particularly in light of the widespread availability of AI products for general consumer use from tech giants such as Google and Microsoft. Musk has also joined a group of technology leaders in advocating for a six-month pause in the "out of control" race for AI development and supports government regulation of AI. While Musk has been sounding the alarm about AI for years, he has also been a participant in the broader AI arms race through investments in his companies. He is reportedly working on establishing a generative AI startup that could rival OpenAI and ChatGPT. During his conversation with Tucker Carlson, Musk also addressed his ownership of Twitter and provided guidance to the New York Times on how to manage the content of its account.