“If you’re uncertain about your stance on artificial intelligence, you’re in good company.”
Is it meant to save mankind or kill off our world’s existence? It is that much a bet, and the verdict is yet uncertain, even amongst top specialists across the globe.
Due to this reason, some AI creators have called for development of AI to slow down or stop entirely as the growth is too fast. Some say this will curtail the abilities of the tech to create formulations for new drugs as well as contribute to environmental solutions related to climate change.
Next week, about one hundred of world leaders, IT business representatives, scientists and artificial intelligence specialists will meet in Bletchley (Great Britain). They act as discussants into ways of achieving the highest benefits of these potent resources using minimal risks associated with it.
Will it give salvation to the mankind or doom us? Such stakes are very high and the jury is yet, even on the part of the world’s leading experts.
There is a group that is asking to slow down or halt the development of AI, since they claim that it is developing too quickly. Yet some contend that such an approach is merely an attempt that would inhibit the tech from achieving incredible feats, such as formulating algorithms for new drugs and working out how to address issues relating to climate change.
About 100 world leaders including top tech executives, professors, and AI researchers, will converge to a conference next week at Bletchley Park. They were set up to participate in talks on the ways of taking full advantage of this potent tool while minimizing any potential dangers.
AI safety summit is the forthcoming UK’s event that focuses on the extreme risks like superintelligence and the intelligence explosion. This relates to what in common terms are referred to as “frontier AI” that does not exist yet albeit in such high speed the AI is evolving.
The critics, however, argue that the major concerns surrounding the meeting should be concentrated on the immediate problems of AI such as its energy consumption as well as the effect it is making on job creation.
A report published by the UK government last week highlights some disturbing possible dangers, such as bioterrorism, cyber-attacks, self-governing AI, and enhanced sharing of child sexual abuse deepfakes.
Despite such frightening background, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called upon them not “to lose any sleep”. There is an objective, but an ambitious one. He hopes that he will be able to make the UK world number on AI safety.
However, when the summit was announced and presented as the world’s first, many people raised eyebrows. If the world’s high command would venture into a distant, leafy region of Britain in the harsh winter and near the USA’s Thanksgiving, it is highly unlikely.
There is no official list of invited guests. It is quite evident by now that the United States tech giants are going to do impressively. High-level executives though, not necessarily at the CEO level.
Commercial sector is full of enthusiasm for summit. Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque said that the US-UK AI summit would be a once in generation chance for UK to unseal its AI superpowers status.
“Our position is that we should urge the government with other policy makers for the support of AI safety in all ecosystems like corporate labs and researchers to keep Britain safe and competitive,” he waxed lyrical.
They should play a very crucial role in the discussion, because they lead in production of the AI systems. However, it is as if these were discussions that they are already conducting on their own. Thought diversity is critical here.
The world- leader contingent can be somewhat of a hodge-podge. Vice President of United States Kamala Harris will be there, but not their Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. However, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission will attend but not Olaf Scholz the German Chancellor. Controversially, China has been invited to take part in a process that it does not have a sound relationship with western nations. However, it remains the strongest tecknation.
The other interesting fact is that United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres is also travelling – which indicates a need for a global body to have some regulation over AI technologies.
However, some experts are worried that the summit is tackling issues in the wrong order. They contend that the probability of extreme doomsday scenarios is relatively low, and rather more pressing challenges that exist on their doorstep will be much more unsettling to many individuals.
As per Prof Gina Neff that heads an AI Centre in University of Cambridge, “our concerns include; what will happen to our jobs, news, means of communication, people, communities and ultimately our planet”.
Four years is all it would take for the computing infrastructure necessary to power the AI industry to consume as much energy as what The Netherlands uses. The summit will not discuss this.
Additionally, we are aware that AI has begun disrupting roles. I had a friend operating in a local marketing organization. Five copywriters – now just one who edits what ChatGPT produces. AI assisted benefits’ claim process in the department of work and pensions.
But where does it get its data for training, then? commercial companies that own them keep these details a secret. However arguably, AI can just be said to be as good as what it comprehends about itself. Bias and discrimination have infiltrated most of the tools used by people today including the ready made ones.
However, these problems will appear at the summit although they will not constitute its essence.
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