The Center for Humane Technology’s Tristan Harris, Steve Wozniak, and Elon Musk are among the 1,100+ signatories of an open letter that calls on AI labs to cease training AI systems more advanced than GPT-4 temporarily. This pause should last a minimum of 6 months.
Says the letter:
AI systems have almost reached a level on par with humans performing general tasks. Thus, we must consider: Is permitting AI-generated content – such as propaganda and lies – appropriate to permeate our information channels?
The questions arise: should we automate away all jobs, even the fulfilling ones? Should human minds be replaced with nonhuman intelligence, which might one day outnumber and outsmart us? Is the potential risk of losing control over our civilization worth its gain?
Decision-making regarding the development of advanced AI systems should not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Instead, it must only occur once we are certain that their potential risks and benefits can be managed.
In recent months, some AI labs have been in an uncontrolled race to develop and deploy powerful digital minds that even the creators do not comprehend, forecast, or exercise command over them. This sort of planning and management appears to be absent, which has caused concern about the potential danger this puts us in.
The letter, endorsed by some AI professionals, suggests the need for a publicly verifiable halt to using this technology that includes all key stakeholders. Governments should implement a moratorium if the pause cannot be implemented rapidly.
The people who have signed this interesting agreement include engineers from Meta and Google, Stability AI founder and CEO Emad Mostaque, an electrician, and an esthetician. It is just as interesting for those who have not signed it.
No one from OpenAI or Anthropic signed the letter above; OpenAI is the team behind the large language model GPT-4; Anthropic’s team spun out of OpenAI to build a “safer” AI chatbot.
By signing this letter, the signatories are taking a stand and urging governments, businesses, and individuals to take action now. They recognize that our world’s challenges are complex and multifaceted, but they believe we can collectively address them.
The open letter serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in shaping the future of our world. It is up to each one of us to take action and work towards a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. By coming together and collaborating across boundaries, we can create a better future for ourselves and future generations.
Source: TechCrunch
