Every time an astrologer, a shaman or a simple person tells me that the end of the world will take place on a certain date, I am quite skeptical.
And if I knew exactly when the end of the world was predicted, I’m not sure I would walk the streets and tell everyone about it. On the contrary, I would go and live the most beautiful experiences possible before THE END.
Still, the sudden emergence of AI is causing predictions of the end of the world to explode.
In its enthusiasm, OpenAI – the creators of ChatGPT – is fueling the frenzy. It was only last October that Sam Altman, then CEO of OpenAI, wondered if AI was not at risk of killing us (read also: When AI brings us back to reality and ‘human).
“Mitigating extinction risk through AI should be a global priority along with other society-wide risks such as pandemics and nuclear wars,” he said.
This is not precisely what people already frightened by the prospect of robot domination wanted to hear. This only fueled their fears and weighed on their hearts.
Talk more, talk less
Recently, however, Altman – again CEO of OpenAI – seems to have tempered his remarks. Happier still, he seems to be taking steps to ensure not only our survival but also (what remains of it) our peace of mind.
Last week, he announced that OpenAI would take steps to ensure that the upcoming US elections are not disrupted by malicious people using AI.
But it is another of his statements which can arouse a certain dizziness. In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Mr. Altman displayed a strange optimism. He said AI “will change the world a lot less than we all think and it will change jobs a lot less than we all think.”
Above all, Altman seems to have understood the unease many people have about not only what AI could do, but also how quickly it could change, or even destroy, their lives.
And he wants you to know that maybe it’s not that dramatic.
Accept your discomfort
Leaving aside my skepticism for a moment, I must admit to being moved by Altman’s recent public statements. I am humbled that they are so different from those proposed by technology leaders during the early part of the internet age.
At that time, companies like Google and Facebook just wanted everyone to believe they were “making the world a better place.” And they were far too intelligent for ordinary mortals to understand what they were doing.
So yes, with Altman it’s different. Of course, this could all be linked to the prospect of government regulation.
This might also have something to do with why Altman was briefly fired from OpenAI by those who were a little less enthusiastic about making money in a completely uncontrolled way.
We can nevertheless appreciate his effort and even be slightly surprised. Although, in an interview last week, he admitted that as AI becomes more and more customizable, “it’s going to make a lot of people uncomfortable.”
Mr. Altman admits that AI is already an “incredible tool for productivity.” Having used it a lot myself, I admit that its productivity is extraordinary.
Source: “ZDNet.com”