When it comes to artificial intelligence, I want to be hopeful, I really do. But the danger is so palpable, it’s impossible to ignore.
In previous posts, I’ve tried to strike a balance between hope and dismay over AI; today I’m leaning back to the hopeful side.
The link that provides a measure of hope resides under an unlikely headline, however: “'Godfather' Scientist Says Superhuman AI May Eliminate Humanity” (Yahoo).
The scientist involved, Geoffrey Hinton, after more than 40 years researching in the field, says he thinks we have up to 20 years before AI is capable of acting on its own, and therefore potentially capable of destroying us. That’s the hopeful part.
"I think it's very reasonable for people to be worrying about these issues now, even though it's not going to happen in the next year or two," Hinton says.
Twenty years should be enough time to conduct the thorough public debate so desperately needed in this matter, and to establish the global regulatory regime necessary to keep general purpose AI confined within the bounds of reason.
A lot like how nuclear power and nuclear weapons are regulated — imperfectly but for the most part effectively. There will be mistakes along the way; we just have to hope they are not irreversible.
In the meantime, the benefits of AI in the field of medicine and beyond may be considerable and should begin to be realized.
Now I’m an optimist by nature, so take that into account here, but today maybe just because the sun is shining I’m feeling hopeful about humanity’s ability to control AI, and that we may ultimately achieve a better future with it.
On the other hand, I have to think that way because the alternative is unacceptable.
My previous posts on AI include:
NEWS LINKS:
The Red States Experimenting With Authoritarianism — They’ve become laboratories of autocracy. (Atlantic)
Fox Settles Defamation Lawsuit With Dominion for $787.5 Million (NYT)
Is artificial intelligence advancing too quickly? What AI leaders at Google say (CBS)
Why Chatbot AI Is a Problem for China — If the technology is only as good as the information it learns from, then state censorship is not a recipe for success. (Atlantic)
What Keeps a Leading AI Scientist Up At Night (New York)
“America simply is able to get more out of its workers than other rich countries”—lessons in productivity (Economist)
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich denied detention appeal in Moscow (CNN)
Biden-McCarthy escalate tit-for-tat over debt ceiling deal (The Hill)
84-Year-Old Is Charged in Shooting of Black Teenager Who Went to Wrong House (NYT)
Oklahoma officials accused of talk of killing journalists (AP)
SCOTUS steps back into abortion quagmire less than a year after toppling Roe (Politico)
'A gamechanger': this simple device could help fight the war on abortion rights in the US (Guardian)
Schumer will move to replace Feinstein on Judiciary panel this week (The Hill)
Trump team prepares to fight efforts to block him from ballots over Jan. 6 —
Attorneys from two nonprofits plan to argue that the U.S. Constitution bars Trump from office because he engaged in an insurrection during the attack on the U.S. Capitol. (WP)
Donald Trump Must Face the Music (Newsweek)
The Clarence Thomas Scandal Is About More Than Corruption (Politico Mag)
As Migrant Children Were Put to Work, U.S. Ignored Warnings (NYT)
How DeSantis became Florida’s most powerful governor in a generation (WP)
Outmaneuvered by Disney in his attempt to punish the company for criticizing him, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) continues his revenge quest by putting its rides under state oversight, even though the company’s ride inspection regime is already far more rigorous than required. DeSantis said his hand-picked board also could use land it now controls to set up a new state prison there. Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) dismissed the idea as “some dystopian BS.” [HuffPost]
There may be an easy way to help kids eat more healthy food. Spending more time at dinner. Children ate “significantly” more fruits and vegetables when families took 30 minutes to eat, rather than 20 minutes, a new study found. (WP)
How disappearing ice in Antarctica threatens the U.S. (NPR)
‘Without the ice cap, we cannot live’: the Andes community devastated by climate crisis (Guardian)
Putin visits two regions in Ukraine, Russia presses assault on Bakhmut (Reuters)
Supreme Court: India court hears historic same sex marriage case (BBC)
China’s economy grew 4.5% in the first quarter, the fastest pace in a year (CNBC)
China's economy gathers speed, global risks raise challenges to outlook (Reuters)
Worthless Degrees Are Creating an Unemployable Generation in India (Bloomberg)
Reclusive Taliban leader releases end-of-Ramadan message (AP)
UN ready for ‘heartbreaking’ decision to pull out of Afghanistan — Officials say it will leave in May if Taliban cannot be persuaded to let local women work for organisation (Guardian)
Center Offers Hope And Healing For Female Afghan Refugees In Tajikistan (RFE)
UN predicts Afghan economy would contract if aid drops 30% (Reuters)
Embarrassed Man Accidentally Says ‘Hello’ To Coworker Instead Of ‘I Feel Like Crying All The Time’ (The Onion)
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