Can a child's toy become dangerous from one day to the next? The situation is similar with artificial intelligence (AI), which was initially seen as a harmless playmate of technology and is now preparing to conquer the world. One is inevitably reminded of the uneasiness that arose when the steam engine was first demonstrated.
But now we face the unknown, superintelligence – an AI that could be so intelligent that it far surpasses human thought. The creators of AI, including OpenAI, have recognized that with today's state of technology we are unlikely to be able to control such superintelligence. That's why OpenAI is now launching an initiative to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence for humanity.
The rise of superintelligence
It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but reality may soon overtake fiction.
“Superintelligence will be the most influential technology humanity has ever invented and could help us solve many of the world’s most important problems. But the immense power of superintelligence could also be very dangerous and lead to the disempowerment of humanity or even the extinction of humanity ,” wrote OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and the head of OpenAI’s futurology department, Jan Leike, in a blog post. “Currently, we have no way to direct or control a potentially superintelligent AI and stop it from going its own way.”
Microsoft is entering the game
Microsoft, one of the technology giants of our time, has made it its mission to solve this looming problem. Microsoft has announced that it will invest 20 percent of its computing power in developing a solution over the next four years. The company is also putting together a new research team, the “Superalignment Team,” that will be dedicated solely to solving this problem.
Global debate and reaction
The possible dangers of artificial intelligence are currently being intensively discussed in research and in public:
- The EU has already agreed on a draft law to regulate AI, the “AI Act”.
- In the USA, following the example of the EU, there is discussion about classifying AI applications into risk classes, on which the requirements for companies depend.
- UN Secretary General António Guterres is critical of the future of artificial intelligence. He proposes setting up a regulatory authority jointly led by the UN states.
- In March, a group of AI industry leaders and experts signed an open letter highlighting potential risks of AI to society and calling for a six-month pause in the development of systems more powerful than OpenAI's GPT-4.
- In May, hundreds of experts warned against artificial intelligence: “Reducing the risk of extinction through AI should be a global priority – on a par with other risks for society as a whole, such as pandemics and nuclear war,” it reads in translation. Signatories include Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind, and Turing Award-winning AI researchers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio.
Conclusion
We are at a critical point in the history of artificial intelligence. The development of AI systems is progressing rapidly, and the question of how to control these systems is becoming increasingly pressing. Recent efforts by companies such as OpenAI and Microsoft are an encouraging sign that the industry is taking the potential risks seriously and is striving to develop effective controls.
The unbridled power of superintelligence is before us, and it is time to take responsibility for it. How we tame and shape it is in our hands and will determine whether it becomes a tool or a threat to humanity.
Source: Der Spiegel , OPENAI
Also read: When you can use ChatGPT and when not! A fact check
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

