Scientists and engineers warn of the dangers of artificial intelligence

An open letter, calling for cautious handling of artificial intelligence, was signed by a huge number of people, including leading researchers and scientists in this field. The authors believe that artificial intelligence should not go beyond our control.

Concerns about artificial intelligence

Such films as "Terminator" give us a complete idea of what will happen when the robots stop performing our commands. Therefore, the fears of many people, including scientists, can not be called unfounded. Considering the pace of development of computer technologies, we are getting closer to the point when it will be necessary to solve these issues.

In December, Stephen Hawking launched a new wave of discussions around this topic. Given that Hawking's ability to communicate depends on advanced computer technology, he can hardly be considered Luddite, but his thoughts certainly attract attention.

The letter was initiated by the Institute of the Future Life - it is a voluntary organization that describes its tasks as "mitigating the existential risks facing humanity".

What is in the letter

The open letter notes that there is an opportunity in these areas to cross the threshold that separates laboratory research and the development of economically valuable technologies, although even minor improvements in productivity cost a lot of money. This is the reason for increasing investment flows in research. Now it becomes clear that the study of artificial intelligence is steadily progressing, and its impact on society is likely to increase. Potential benefits are enormous, since everything that civilization can offer is a product of the human mind. We are not able to predict what we can achieve if we use artificial intelligence, but the eradication of disease and poverty is not something incomprehensible. Given the great potential of artificial intelligence, it is important to understand how to take advantage of it, avoiding potential pitfalls.

The authors add that our artificial intelligence systems should do only what we want them to do and not do harm to people at the same time. Also, the letter outlines the priority areas of research, which, in the opinion of the authors, can bring maximum benefits to society.

Perhaps you should join?

Anyone can sign this letter, and thousands of people have already done so. Although many signers are ordinary people, names such as Elon Mask and Hawking himself are easily recognizable. Many other names on the list are leading researchers in the field of IT and philosophy, including the IBM team.