Almost every week now, + despite statements to the contrary, by many #AI#scientists and #programmers, the utopias of #IsaacAsimov and #PhilipKDick (+ others 1)) are making a leap forward.
Due to all the white noise + the hype regarding #AI most of the general public.
...will make the potential learning curve of #AGI's a lot steeper. Why? Well, for three reasons:
i/Because after digesting most of the world's information from the #internet and other online sources, for lack of similar databases of #alien species, there is not much more knowledge to be accumulated ("only" to be processed differently, which is not as "steep").
the #InternetOfThings will provide "almost" infinite (and increasing) data points to be processed.
...more importantly, #AI can finally learn to differentiate between fiction and reality.
This said, I am "finally" being joined by renowned #academic from #ComputerSciences in my skepticism, which coincides with my stance (though I do not agree with his choice of fiction, see boost of older thread in the follow-up):
...on human society. In a new essay for #Time, he rings the alarm bells, painting a pretty dire picture of a future determined by an #AI that can outsmart us.
"Sadly, I now feel that we're living the movie 'Don't Look Up' for another existential threat: unaligned #superintelligence," #Tegmark wrote, comparing what he perceives to be a lackadaisical response to a growing #AGI threat to director Adam #McKay's popular climate change satire...
A recent survey*..."
...showed that half of #AI researchers give AI at least ten percent chance of causing *HumanExtinction," the researcher continued.
Since we have such a long #history of thinking about this threat and what to do about it, from scientific conferences to Hollywood blockbusters, you might expect that humanity would shift into high gear with a mission to steer #AI in a safer direction than out-of-control #superintelligence
"Think again," he added, "instead, the most influential..."
...responses have been a combination of denial, mockery, and resignation so darkly comical that it's deserving of an Oscar."
In short, according to #Tegmark, #AGI is a very real threat, and human society isn't doing nearly enough to stop it — or, at the very least, isn't ensuring that #AGI will be properly aligned with human values and safety."
"...goes as far as to claim that #superintelligence "isn't a long-term issue," but is even "more short-term than e.g. climate change and most people's retirement planning."
To support his theory, the researcher pointed to a recent #Microsoft study arguing that #OpenAI's large language model GPT-4 is already showing "sparks" of AGI and a recent talk given by #DeepLearning researcher Yoshua Bengio*."
Even without #AGI, "...the current crop of less sophisticated #AIs already poses a threat, from #misinformation-spreading synthetic content to the threat of AI-powered #weaponry...
Although #humanity is racing toward a cliff, we're not there yet, and there's still time for us to slow down, change course and avoid falling off – and instead enjoying the amazing benefits that safe, aligned #AI has to offer,"..."
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