Neil DeGrasse Tyson is trying to balance out the AI doomsday scenario by throwing light on its many benefits.
Artificial Intelligence remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the world. Experts have warned that it may take over humanity.
Neil deGrasse Tyson says AI doomsday fears should not overshadow the technology’s benefits
Speaking to TMZ in New York City, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, reflected on AI’s pros and cons. While he admitted that the technology, if uncontrolled, may cause havoc, he also warned about the future. According to Tyson, there is good that AI can do. Consequently, the fear of an AI apocalypse should not influence our judgement.
“We shouldn’t pull the plug on A.I. just because there’s a chance robots will kill us all,” Tyson said. He emphasized on AI’s ability to improve all our lives.
The “AI doomsday” is supported by the fear that uncontrolled use of AI may cause a complete takeover of humanity by machines. Some experts have hinted at the possibility of AI rising to the stature when they can make autonomous decisions against the interest of humanity. Others believe that AI can be misused for cyberattacks, surveillance, warfare, or large-scale misinformation campaigns.
Instead of dismissing the technology altogether, Tyson spoke of stronger security. He suggested that guardrails be created around the technology. The astrophysicist urged AI companies, the government and world leaders to come together to regulate AI and prevent a “mutual assured destruction scenario.”
His comments can be linked to the renewed debates around AI use after some truths have come forward. OpenAI has recently disclosed unexpected or concerning incident involving advanced AI systems. They have identified potential threats such as models generating false information, attempting unauthorized communication with other agents, and producing outputs that raised safety concerns.
Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, recently told TMZ Live that he believes there is a “10% chance of human extinction in the next decade.” Unless authorities fail to mitigate threats, humanity may be facing a challenging future.
Tyson however sees the bigger future which has abundantly guarded AI that poses no threats.
