On his personal blog, Bill Gatespublished an article titled “AI risks are real, but manageable”, in which he raises concerns about the possible impacts of this technology.
To begin with, he asks: “What happens to people who lose their jobs at the hands of an intelligent machine? whatCould AI affect the results of an election?? What if a future AI decides it doesn’t need humans anymore and wants to get rid of us?”
For example, he says that when automobiles appeared, traffic accidents occurred, but instead of prohibiting cars, speed limits, safety rules, and other regulations were established to guarantee road safety.
“I will focus on risks that are already present, or soon to be. Whether we get to that point in a decade or a century, society will have to face profound questions. What if a super AI sets its own goals? And if they conflict with those of humanity? Should we even make a super AI?” she expounds.
For Gates, the generation of deepfakes and the disinformation created by AI could attempt against the elections and democracy. The idea that technology can be used to spread lies is not new, the world has been doing it with books and pamphlets for centuries. It became much easier with the advent of word processors, laser printers, email, and social media.
According to him, AI takes this fake text problem one step further, allowing virtually anyone to create fake audio and video, known as deepfakes. On a larger scale, they could be used to try to sway an election.
He warns that sophisticated technology is not needed to sow doubt about the “rightful winner of an election”, but AI will make it easier. He then explains that there are already fake videos that present fabricated images of well-known politicians.
“Imagine that on the morning of a major election, a video showing one of the candidates robbing a bank goes viral. It is false, but it takes several hours for the media and the campaign to prove it. How many people will see it and change their votes at the last minute? It could tip the scales, especially in a close election,” he explains.
In his text, he recalls that when the co-founder of OpenAI, Sam Altmantestified before a US Senate committee recently, senators from both parties focused on the impact of AI in elections and democracy. “I hope this issue remains a priority for everyone.”
Faced with this, the co-founder of Microsoft says that the hackers use brute force to find software vulnerabilities, and security experts should do the same to counter them. AI models can speed up this process for both cyber attackers and security teams.
However, he cautions that there is also a risk of an increase in the malicious use of AIsuch as more sophisticated phishing attacks. He then points out that it is important that governments and the private sector keep up to date with security tools to prevent the exploitation of these vulnerabilities.
In addition, the need to establish a global body for AI, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency, is raised to regulate its use and prevent a cybernetic arms race.
At this point, Gates states that AI will have a significant impact on work by helping people to be more efficient in their tasks, whether in a factory or in an office. As you get more sophisticated, you will be able to compose emails and manage your inbox autonomously, but this transition will require support and retraining for some workers.
He explains that while its impact will not be as dramatic as the Industrial Revolution, will be as significant as the introduction of personal computers. “It will require adaptation by employers and employees, but there is trust where disruption to people’s lives can be minimized.”
While he is optimistic about the ability to manage the risks and maximize the benefits of AI, he insists that it is essential for governments to acquire AI knowledge to establish adequate laws and regulationsaddressing challenges such as misinformation and deepfakes, security, changes in the labor market and the impact on education.
He adds that political leaders must maintain an informed and thoughtful dialogue, decide on international collaboration and individual action. It also points out that in the private sector, AI companies are urged to operate in a safe and responsible manner, protecting privacy, avoiding bias and promoting equitable benefits.
We would love to give thanks to the writer of this write-up for this outstanding web content
Bill Gates and his concerns about artificial intelligence: the risks are “real”