AI researchers, including those who have developed life-changing technology, are sounding the alarm about potential dangers, but many are neglecting to address everyday issues. A recent conference on AI research revealed a disconnect between scientists’ concerns and the real-world problems they face.
Some top AI experts, like Yoshua Bengio, warn of dystopian futures where AIs deceive creators or misuse their power for politics. However, these warnings rarely mention pressing issues like fake videos affecting public discourse or the mental health crisis caused by chatbots.
Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci notes that researchers are missing the bigger picture by focusing on hypothetical risks posed by artificial general intelligence, a technology whose existence is still debated among experts.
Even billionaires building AI technologies, such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, predict apocalyptic scenarios, but these warnings often come across as exaggerated or sensationalized. Meanwhile, everyday problems like chatbot addiction and identity fraud are overlooked in favor of more dramatic risks.
A recent conference’s name, NeurIPS (Neural Information Processing Systems), is a reminder that AI scientists were once underestimating the complexity of human brains and comparing them to computers. Today, there’s an obsession with treating computers as minds, leading to unrealistic expectations about chatbots’ capabilities.
It seems that science fiction often takes precedence over scientific reality in AI discussions. While some researchers acknowledge potential harms, many are neglecting to address the mundane issues that will have a more significant impact on people’s lives.
Source: https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-industry-fears-creation