Microsoft founder Bill Gates did not agree with the recent open letter calling for a pause on AI development. He said that a ban would ensure the world avoids the potential risks of AI. Gates explained, “I don’t think asking one particular group to pause solves the challenges.” He added, “Clearly, there’s huge benefits to these things. What we need to do is identify the tricky areas.”
Elon Musk and numerous tech experts signed a petition to halt research into artificial intelligence for six months. That would allegedly enable the world to plan and manage the technology properly. Otherwise, it may cause massive unemployment, rampant misinformation, and societal collapse.
Gates commented on the AI open letter two weeks after he published a seven-page letter titled “The Age of AI Has Begun.” He wrote, “The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone.” Also, he invested $1 billion in ChatGPT, the most famous AI chatbot at the time of writing.
Why is a worldwide AI development pause impossible?
Bill Gates said the suggested pause would be difficult to enforce. He told Reuters, “I don’t really understand who they’re saying could stop, and would every country in the world agree to stop, and why to stop.
Let us break down that argument into three parts. First, Gates said the open letter didn’t specify the entities that must follow the AI development pause.
People usually refer to ChatGPT when they call for a ban on AI. After all, it is the most popular and might replace millions of jobs worldwide.
However, numerous countries and companies are creating AI chatbots nowadays. For example, the Chinese tech firm Baidu released its AI bot, Ernie.
Second, we would struggle to require every country to agree to an AI development pause. Such a global policy can only work if everyone agrees to implement it.
Otherwise, the countries that do not follow the AI development pause would continue their projects. As a result, artificial intelligence continues to improve, making the policy useless.
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Third, we must have compelling reasons to prevent people from developing this technology. Yet, the benefits of artificial intelligence outweigh the risks.
Investment banking firm Goldman estimates AI could bring $7 trillion in global growth after 10 years. It would make industries more productive and profitable, allowing their respective countries to prosper.
Why would countries deny themselves unprecedented growth with the power of AI? More importantly, a global AI development pause will not stop people from studying it completely.
People will find ways to hide their research, potentially leading to unethical practices slipping past scrutiny. Worse, these people could use it to harm others who ceased research.
Why should we continue AI development?
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Bill Gates believes AI will be as impactful as the internet. It will bring unprecedented productivity and opportunities in numerous fields, so we must continue development.
The billionaire philanthropist explained, “When productivity goes up, society benefits because people are freed up to do other things at work and home.”
He focused on two industries that will significantly benefit from AI: healthcare and education. It could perform time-consuming tasks like dealing with paperwork on behalf of medical experts.
Consequently, they can spend more time on more important matters. Also, it may facilitate patient diagnosis.
For example, the British Journal of Opthalmology tried to use artificial intelligence to detect heart risks. Even better, it does this procedure by analyzing a patient’s eyes.
He claimed AI could provide basic health tips, such as how to perform first aid. As a result, people with no medical experience can help injured individuals until help arrives.
Bill Gates also said AI could improve education by creating personalized courses. It could learn a student’s interests to keep learners engaged.
Conclusion
Bill Gates does not agree with the AI development pause suggested by a recent open letter. He said implementing such a global policy is impossible.
Instead, we must allow governments to regulate AI according to the needs of their countries. Gates claims AI could reduce inequity if properly implemented.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a larger part of our lives, so we must prepare. Start by keeping up-to-date with the latest digital trends from Inquirer Tech.