In my view, it’s time to slow down and or even “pause” AI development. The tech has progressed exponentially in just the last year, and shows no sign of slowing down or reaching a plateau. As a result, it is outpacing our ability to understand, align, and adapt to it. I signed the Future of Life Institute letter six months ago.
This editorial in the Hill.com makes the case:
Right now, tens of thousands of brand-new cutting-edge chips are humming away in massive river-cooled data centers, growing the next generation of artificial minds. We don’t know what their powers will be, how they will think or make decisions or how to robustly align them to human interests. But they will be more capable than most people at many things, and more capable than the finest human minds at some things.
ANTHONY AGUIRRE, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 09/22/23 8:30 AM ET
We have a rapidly-closing window of opportunity to take control of this process, as a species, before the runaway development of AI takes control of us. We must use it.