Kyunghyun Cho Challenges Existential Fear of AI
Recently, several experts have reported that it is time to curtail artificial intelligence in the long term. However, Kyunghyun Cho, a prominent AI researcher and associate professor at New York University, believes that attention should rather be paid to the dangers and benefits of the current applications of AI.
VentureBeat Interviews Kyunghyun Cho
VentureBeat interviewed Cho, who is seen as a trailblazer for the current state of generative AI. He expressed his disappointment with the lack of concrete proposals on AI regulation in the here and now. Cho finds that the ominous rhetoric of, for example, Google alumnus Geoffrey Hinton distracts from the discussions that should now be taking place. He believes that clear rules should be drawn up regarding AI applications in healthcare or limiting AI in military applications.
Open Letters Sounding the Alarm on AI
Lately we have seen a number of open letters that sound the alarm about AI. These were signed by, among others, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Twitter and Tesla owner Elon Musk. Cho says it is not easy to associate his name with such initiatives. He also regrets that the media bombards AI founders such as Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio as heroic figures in science. In particular, the development of the dreaded AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is the work of thousands of people all over the world, according to Cho. AGI refers to the idea that there will eventually be an AI variant that will surpass human knowledge. The alarmist suggestion that accompanies this is often reminiscent of a world led by AI. Cho clearly weakens this image.
It is not new that the role of individuals is overestimated in these kinds of developments. Think of the idea that Steve Jobs almost single-handedly drove his staff to innovations like the iMac, iPod and iPhone.
The Current State of Business
Political agencies are drumming up regulation for AI. This is often done with the participation of Big Tech CEOs such as Sundar Pichai of Google and Sam Altman of OpenAI. In order not to let these regulations go completely off track, Cho’s words serve as a helpful instruction. First, map out the problems and opportunities of today, so that we actually benefit from AI.
Feeding fears about AI also leads to hype around its application. This in turn favors AI companies. It feeds the market value of parties such as OpenAI, Google and AI hardware producer Nvidia.
There is plenty of innovation in that regard. It turns out that there is a majority of developers who are working on artificial intelligence. All the more reason to wonder how strict the rules should be drawn up. If we are to believe Cho, it is important to put common issues such as privacy and security at the forefront of AI regulation. This instead of excessive alarmism, which can be counterproductive.