Science and technology leaders promote safe development of AI
Big names in the fields of science and technology are raising their voices with concern over the impact artificial intelligence (AI) may have on the future of human kind. Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking are among the cerebral science celebrities that have issued words of warning about the potential for thinking machines to get out of hand.
In January Musk backed up his concerns with a $10m donation to the Future of Life Institute, which focuses on potential risks from the development of human-level AI.
"Here are all these leading AI researchers saying that AI safety is important", he said Musk at the time. "I agree with them, so I'm today committing $10M to support research aimed at keeping AI beneficial for humanity."
The money is being used to und a global research programme, with grants made through competitive applications. The idea driving the research is to be that of making sure AI is developed as a useful tool, with appropriate oversight.
It's an idea that has had plenty of backing. An open letter from the institute on research priorities for robust and beneficial AI has been signed by hundreds of leading scientists, thinkers and members of the public. As well as Musk and Hawking, other signatories to the letter include Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and Jaan Tallinn, co-founder of Skype.
"Building advanced AI is like launching a rocket," said Tallinn at the time of Musk's donation. "The first challenge is to maximize acceleration, but once it starts picking up speed, you also need to focus on steering."
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