Tech giants want to stop AI developments | life & knowledge

2023-03-29 11:52:19

Zoff in Silicon Valley!

Hundreds of heavyweights from the tech scene signed on Wednesday night an open letter speaking out against further developments in the field of artificial intelligence (in short: AI). A clear sign against the tech giants Microsoft and Google, which are in a head-to-head race for the best AI models.

Also present: Tesla founder Elon Musk (51), Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (72) and bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari (47).

The reasons given by the signers are not just about filthy mammon, they are concerned about the future of mankind!

“Should we allow machines to flood our information channels with propaganda and untruths? Should we automate all jobs, even the fulfilling ones? Should we develop non-human intelligences that could eventually outnumber, outsmart, obliterate, and replace us? Should we risk losing control of our civilization?”

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The letter from the American Future of Life Institute published was, sees the frenzied AI developments of the last months critical. The signatories warn of “potentially catastrophic consequences” that further improvements to models such as GPT-4 could have.

What is ChatGPT and GPT-4?

The American company Open AI (collaborating with Microsoft) released “ChatGPT” in November 2022. This makes it possible to communicate via chat with the “GPT-3” language model. The model has access to an immense wealth of data and can automatically generate texts from it. This enables it to work on almost any topic, from travel plans to academic papers. GPT-4 is the latest version of this model. She can develop her own programs and write entire bills of indictment in American law.

What the signatories are asking for:

• An immediate six-month hiatus in development of AI systems beyond the level of GPT-4.
• A development of independent security mechanisms that ensure that AI systems are safe and understandable.
• A legal framework that can effectively regulate current AI developments.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also signed the open letter

Foto: Getty Images

Whether the demands can really be implemented is questionable. So far, none of the companies involved in the AI ​​boom have agreed to scale back their efforts.

Concerns about AI are not new: philosophers, computer experts and natural scientists are always critical of further developments. As early as 2014, the famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking († 76) warned that self-improving artificial intelligence could develop so quickly that it would become a could pose a danger to humanity: “Humans, limited by slow biological evolution, could not keep up and would be displaced.”

However, there is still disagreement among experts as to whether this point has been reached.