The UK founders of the Google-acquired DeepMind, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and a number of researchers and academics working in the field of Artificial Intelligence across the globe has signed a letter calling for research that maximises the “societal benefit” of the technology. The letter essentially argues to create AI that helps, rather than destroys, humanity.
According to the letter, the field has until now focused “largely on techniques that are neutral with respect to purpose”. However, as developments continue apace, despite being nowhere near Her levels of creepy-AI autonomy we need to keep an eye on said developments and ensure systems are “robust and beneficial”.
“Our AI systems must do what we want them to do,” the letter states. This, it continues, is the time to be vigilant since AI has already begun to make the move from “laboratory research to economically valuable technologies”.
The letter links to a paper outlining some of the key areas of research that it says demand our attention, from autonomous vehicles potentially prioritising one life over another to AI’s surveillance powers in context of privacy rights.
