Tech leaders and researchers from around the world are sounding the alarm about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
Among the signatories are Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and a host of AI CEOs, CTOs and researchers citing concerns that "human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity", among other things.
More than 2,600 of them have signed an open letter published by the US think tank Future of Life Institute (FOLI), urging a temporary pause on further AI development.
The letter calls on all AI companies to "immediately pause" training AI systems that are more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months, citing "profound risks to society and humanity".
???? We're calling on AI labs to temporarily pause training powerful models!
Join FLI's call alongside Yoshua Bengio, @stevewoz, @harari_yuval, @elonmusk, @GaryMarcus & over a 1000 others who've signed: https://t.co/3rJBjDXapc
A short ????on why we're calling for this - (1/8)
— Future of Life Institute (@FLIxrisk) March 29, 2023
"Out-of-control race"
FOLI claims that there is an "out-of-control race" between AI firms to develop more powerful AI, which "no one - not even their creators - can understand, predict, or reliably control".
The institute is concerned about the potential for machines to flood information channels, potentially with "propaganda and untruth", and whether machines will "automate away" all employment opportunities.
The letter acknowledges that AI has the potential to bring significant benefits to society, but it argues that the risks must be managed and mitigated."
Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources," the letter states. "Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening."
The call for a temporary pause on further AI development is sure to spark debate and discussion within the tech community and beyond.
With so much at stake, it's clear that the conversation about the future of AI needs to involve a wide range of voices and perspectives.