A recent survey released by Stanford University showed that a number of artificial intelligence experts fear the continued development of A.I. technology could lead to an apocalypse rivaling a potential nuclear war.
One-third of natural language processing (NLP) researchers agreed that A.I. could cause a “nuclear-level catastrophe,” according to the annual artificial intelligence index report.
The survey referenced the fact that such “incidents and controversies” have increased by 26 occurrences since 2012. The Stanford report said that this reflects both A.I. advancements and “awareness of misuse possibilities.”
The report also stated that A.I. “models are starting to rapidly accelerate scientific progress.” It stated that last year, such artificial intelligence-aided research was used on projects including fusion and medical research.
It also noted that Americans are not enthusiastic about such technology, with only 35% saying that the byproducts of A.I. “had more benefits than drawbacks.”
The most recent report is one of several regarding the potential risks of artificial intelligence. Tesla founder Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among a number of signatures on an open letter calling for a pause of advanced A.I. research.
The letter calls for a six-month pause on such research over potential “profound risks to society and humanity.”
The letter also references the possibility that such A.I. will “flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth.”
Musk played a significant role in the development of current artificial intelligence. He uses a form of it in research at Tesla regarding self-driving cars.
Musk also co-founded OpenAI, which developed both ChatGPT and GPT4. GPT4’s recent release showed a significant increase in the capability of artificial intelligence systems, including fears that they could eliminate a number of human jobs.
Musk left the company’s board in 2018.
Musk has since called the company a “closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.” Microsoft has announced a number of artificial intelligence programs, including in its Bing search engine.
The Twitter CEO is also using a form of A.I. on the popular social media platform.
Elon Musk recently signed a letter calling for a six-month pause on development of all artificial intelligence technology. But that hasn’t stopped Musk from investing heavily in AI development for Twitter, according to a new report. https://t.co/xqOA9h0gGD
— Forbes (@Forbes) April 11, 2023
