In an interview with CNBC, Microsoft’s President and Vice-Chairman Brad Smith has expressed the imperative of reining in artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent its transformation into a weapon. In his interview aired on Monday, Smith drew attention to the historical trend of technologies, once invented, having the capacity to serve both as tools and weapons. He stressed the necessity of maintaining human control over AI, regardless of whether it’s employed by governments, the military, or any organisation to automate critical systems, stating the importance of having the capability to slow down or deactivate AI when necessary.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence has ignited concerns worldwide, particularly following the popularity surge of ChatGPT, a generative AI-powered chatbot known for its remarkably human-like responses. Generative AI, a form of artificial intelligence technology, is adept at creating various types of content, ranging from text to images and code. Notable figures in the tech industry, including OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, executives from Google’s AI arm DeepMind, and Microsoft, issued warnings in May about the existential risks posed by AI, comparing it to the potential devastation of nuclear warfare. The urgent need for risk mitigation was underscored by Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak, and other tech leaders, who called for halting advanced AI development for a six-month period and refraining from training systems to surpass GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest substantial language model.
Brad Smith, speaking to CNBC’s Martin Soong on the sidelines of the Business 20 Summit in New Delhi, reiterated the importance of not solely relying on the ethical conduct of companies, advocating instead for new legal frameworks and regulations to enforce safety measures. Smith drew a parallel between AI and previous technological advancements, noting that just as circuit breakers are vital for electricity and emergency brakes for school buses, a comparable framework is now required for AI to prevent potential harm.
Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of AI technology has fueled concerns among workers who fear that their jobs may become obsolete due to automation. According to a report by Goldman Sachs in March, generative AI has the potential to impact up to 300 million jobs globally, with between 25% to 50% of tasks in affected occupations likely to be replaced. Physical labour-intensive roles, however, are anticipated to be less affected by this transformation.
Addressing the concerns surrounding AI’s impact on employment, Brad Smith emphasised that AI should be viewed as a tool that enhances human capabilities, rather than one that entirely replaces jobs. He cautioned against the misconception that AI could eliminate the need for human thinking, highlighting Microsoft’s perspective of their AI services as “co-pilots” that collaborate with individuals. Smith used the analogy of transforming a Word document into a PowerPoint slide to illustrate his point, emphasising that despite AI assistance, human engagement and scrutiny are indispensable to achieving optimal outcomes.
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