Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has raised concerns about the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and its rapid development. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit, Schmidt referred to AI as an 'existential risk' that could result in harm or even loss of life for many individuals.
Schmidt acknowledged the potential benefits of AI, such as its ability to identify 'zero-day exploits' and uncover new advancements in biology. He stressed that while these applications may currently be fictional, their realization is likely in the future. Schmidt emphasized the importance of preparing for this eventuality to prevent malicious individuals from misusing AI technologies.
Despite recognizing the need for regulation, Schmidt admitted that he did not have a definitive solution for effectively governing AI systems. He viewed it as a broader question for society as a whole. Furthermore, Schmidt expressed skepticism about the establishment of a regulatory framework in the United States.
In contrast to the US, lawmakers from the European Union (EU) have made progress in this regard. They have reached a preliminary agreement on the European Artificial Intelligence Act, aimed at regulating the proliferation and application of AI systems.
Schmidt's warning comes in the wake of an open letter signed by over 1,000 influential executives, including Elon Musk, in March of this year. The letter called for a six-month halt in the training of AI models until a robust regulatory system was in place.
Recently, Geoffrey Hinton, known as the ‘Godfather of AI,’ left Google citing concerns about its dangers. He claimed that despite the benefits that AI brings, such as increased efficiency and productivity, the fear of AI outpacing humans and becoming too smart is a legitimate concern for humans. Further, he went on to say that AI models in the future might soon generate and run their own code—which could lead to truly autonomous weapons and killer robots becoming a reality.
Concerned, a number of industry leaders and experts including Elon Musk, cognitive scientist Gary Marcus, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak signed an open letter requesting a six-month freeze in the development of AI models.
