Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has issued a warning that artificial intelligence systems may outsmart humans.
In a video posted on his official X Twitter on Sunday, the owner of Starlink expressed alarm at the speed at which artificial intelligence is developing and warned that these systems may eventually surpass human intelligence.
“We are creating an intelligence that ultimately will be far more intelligent than any human, and ultimately more intelligent than the sum of all humans,” Musk said.
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AI models, trained to lie, threaten humankind
The Tesla CEO views the fact that many AI systems are being trained to lie as a major concern. He was worried about the potentially disastrous effects of AI systems that have been trained with lies.
Additionally, he emphasised that AI systems that are taught to tell lies pose a threat to humankind.
Musk claimed that to reduce global hazards, AI development must place a high priority on honesty.
“The most important thing in training AI is that it is rigorously truthful. This is very, very important, essential,” Musk noted.
Musk likened AI to a “genius child,” stressing the importance of nurturing it with good values. “In creating AI, we need to be very careful… It’s like having a sort of genius child. You want to have that child grow up with good values,” he explained.
Musk brought up a story of Google’s Gemini AI, which was required to decide between misgendering Caitlyn Jenner and starting a worldwide thermonuclear battle.
Musk was troubled by the AI’s choice of misgendering. “I’m like, that’s a problem, guys,” he said.
Strong AI systems could take drastic steps to prevent errors, he warned. “If this AI becomes super powerful, it could decide that the best way to avoid misgendering is to kill all humans, which makes the probability of us gendering zero,” Musk warned.
He reaffirmed the necessity for AI to put humankind and the truth first, highlighting the need for systems to be honest, inquisitive, and supportive of human wellbeing.
“It’s very important to have AI be maximally truthful, curious, and love humanity,” he said.
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Calls for AI regulation
Experts have been increasingly advocating for AI regulation since March 22, 2023, after a petition organised by well-known individuals like Musk.
The petition raised concerns about the possible dangers AI could pose to humankind and called for a six-month stop in AI research.
It stressed the necessity of security measures and regulatory frameworks to lessen the social and economic effects of AI.
Furthermore, the significance of building collaborative governance to solve the issues brought about by AI was also emphasised during discussions at the G7 Summit in May 2023.