An AI ‘Pause’ Would Be a Disaster for Innovation
Like every worthwhile technology, artificial intelligence poses risks. That’s no reason to stop progress.
Keep going.
Photographer: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
At least since Aeschylus, humanity has been warning itself about the dangers of unbounded technology. Last week, more than 1,000 researchers and executives added to this canon with an open letter calling for a pause in research on artificial intelligence.
It’s a sobering read. The letter warns that AI may (among other things) imperil jobs, spread propaganda, undermine civil discourse, even lead to the “loss of control of our civilization.” It calls for a six-month moratorium on advanced research in the field and proposes that industry leaders come up with safety protocols and governance systems to rein in potential risks.