Jakarta – Computer scientist and artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer, Yoshua Bengio, has warned about the dangers of AI in society and called for minimizing its risks. Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal, has won numerous awards for his work in the field of AI and deep learning.
He is concerned that some powerful individuals may want to replace humans with machines. Machines have the potential to possess many human cognitive abilities. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) technology aims to match or surpass human intellect.
“Intelligence gives power. So, who will control that power? A system that knows more than most people can be dangerous in the wrong hands and create more instability at the geopolitical level, for example, terrorism,” he said.
According to him, several organizations and governments will be able to fund the creation of powerful AI machines, and the larger the systems, the smarter they become. “These machines cost billions, and very few organizations and countries can afford it. It is already happening,” Bengio, who was quoted by detikINET from CNBC, continued.
“There will be a concentration of power: economic power that could negatively affect the market, political power that could negatively affect democracy, and military power, which could negatively impact the geopolitical stability of the planet. So, many open questions that we need to study carefully and start addressing as soon as possible,” he explained.
This situation may arise in a few decades, but it’s also possible that it could happen sooner. “Additionally, there are people who may want to misuse it and some who may be happy to see humans replaced by machines. These individuals could have a lot of power and could do it unless we put the right limits in place now,” he said.
Bengio supported an open letter in June titled “A Right to Warn About Advanced Artificial Intelligence.” The letter warned about the serious risks of AI progress. “The first thing that governments need to do is have regulations that force companies to register when they build these pioneering systems,” Bengio said.
Because AI is advancing so rapidly, governments must also be somewhat creative and create laws that can adapt to technological changes. Companies developing AI must also be held accountable for their actions, including facing sanctions if issues arise.
