Because of the “deep hazards to society and mankind,” many prominent figures in the IT industry are demanding that research institutions immediately halt the training of their most advanced AI systems.
The Future of Life Institute, a non-profit organization funded by Musk, published an open letter signed by dozens of prominent figures in the fields of technology, academia, and research.
Do you know that hundreds of the most prominent figures in technology, including Elon Musk, signed an open letter conveying this message? In an open letter issued on Tuesday, Elon Musk and other AI specialists and industry executives called on leading AI labs to temporarily halt the development of AI systems more sophisticated than GPT-4-
Elon Musk and Tech Leaders Request Leading AI Laboratories Stop Training Beyond GPT-4
About two weeks before to this letter’s release, OpenAI unveiled GPT-4, a more robust version of the technology that powers the popular AI chatbot tool, ChatGPT. The system was demonstrated in early tests and a company demo by creating legal documents, scoring well on standardized tests, and developing a fully functional website from a simple drawing.
The letter suggested the moratorium be extended to artificial intelligence systems “more powerful than GPT-4.” A consensus set of protocols for AI tools that are safe “beyond a reasonable doubt” was also recommended to be developed and implemented by a group of independent experts during the suggested pause.
The letter said-
“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.”
“Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control.”
The letter urged states to institute a freeze if a halt is not implemented quickly. The renewed arms race among internet companies to create and implement similar AI technologies in their products can be partly attributed to the ChatGPT wave of attention towards the end of last year.
The likes of IBM, Amazon, Baidu, and Tencent are also hard at work on technology with similar goals as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. There is a plethora of new companies working on creating AI tools to help with writing and creating images.
The possibility for biased replies, the propensity to propagate misinformation, and the impact on consumer privacy are all areas of growing concern among AI researchers. Concerns have been raised about the potential for these tools to disrupt industries, make it easier for students to cheat, and fundamentally alter our relationship with technology.
The letter alludes to a more widespread unease, both within and without the industry, over the lightning-fast development of AI. Early versions of AI governance frameworks have been introduced by some governmental authorities in China, the EU, and Singapore.
