How to worry wisely about artificial intelligence
Rapid progress in AI is arousing fear as well as excitement. How worried should you be?
“Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart...and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilisation?” These questions were asked last month in an open letter from the Future of Life Institute, an ngo. It called for a six-month “pause” in the creation of the most advanced forms of artificial intelligence (AI), and was signed by tech luminaries including Elon Musk. It is the most prominent example yet of how rapid progress in AI has sparked anxiety about the potential dangers of the technology.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “How to worry wisely about AI”
Leaders
April 22nd 2023- How to worry wisely about artificial intelligence
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