Dozens of prominent scientists have put their names to an open letter
warning the public about the danger of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
They are, specifically, worried about potential developments in
autonomous weapons, made possible by the progress of robotics and AI.
Among those endorsing the letter are Stephen Hawking, Noam Chomsky and Elon Musk of Tesla and Space X fame.
In the letter, the signatories claim “the deployment of such systems is – practically if not legally – feasible within years, not decades, and the stakes are high: autonomous weapons have been described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms.”They highlight a large list of possible drawbacks to consider, should such weapons become reality.
For example, the signatories argue that they are relatively cheap to mass-produce, which could lower the boundaries for going to war, since fewer (if any) human lives would be lost.
The ‘human factor’ is also listed as one of few advantages of autonomous weapons, however, it is followed by:
“There are many ways in which AI can make battlefields safer for humans, especially civilians, without creating new tools for killing people.”
Mass-production could mean the weapons would easily end up on the black market or in the hands of terrorists wishing to destabilise nations, or war lords “wishing to perpetrate ethnic cleansing, etc.”
They write: “the key question for humanity today is whether to start a global AI arms race or to prevent it from starting.”
Their response: “A military AI arms race would not be beneficial for humanity.”
Read more: Artificial Intelligence: genuine concern, or fearmongering? | euronews, world news
Among those endorsing the letter are Stephen Hawking, Noam Chomsky and Elon Musk of Tesla and Space X fame.
In the letter, the signatories claim “the deployment of such systems is – practically if not legally – feasible within years, not decades, and the stakes are high: autonomous weapons have been described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms.”They highlight a large list of possible drawbacks to consider, should such weapons become reality.
For example, the signatories argue that they are relatively cheap to mass-produce, which could lower the boundaries for going to war, since fewer (if any) human lives would be lost.
The ‘human factor’ is also listed as one of few advantages of autonomous weapons, however, it is followed by:
“There are many ways in which AI can make battlefields safer for humans, especially civilians, without creating new tools for killing people.”
Mass-production could mean the weapons would easily end up on the black market or in the hands of terrorists wishing to destabilise nations, or war lords “wishing to perpetrate ethnic cleansing, etc.”
They write: “the key question for humanity today is whether to start a global AI arms race or to prevent it from starting.”
Their response: “A military AI arms race would not be beneficial for humanity.”
Read more: Artificial Intelligence: genuine concern, or fearmongering? | euronews, world news
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