Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai recently spoke with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” about the need for social scientists, ethicists, and philosophers to participate in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). AI technologies are rapidly being incorporated into many industries and areas of life, such as healthcare and education, and popular deepfake images have circulated online. To address the potential risks of AI misuse, Pichai believes the development of the technology should not only involve engineers, but also experts in other fields.
AI technology is not perfect, and it has been known to sometimes hallucinate or create bias. AI bots have even been used to give advice related to criminal activities. To prevent the spread of false information and to develop AI systems that are morally aligned with human values, Pichai believes that further research needs to be done. Elon Musk and Apple Co-Founder Mike Wozniak have both signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on advanced AI development. Sundar Pichai has described the letter as a “conversation starter”, proposing that society needs to come together to figure out how AI should be ethically utilised.
Google has been developing an AI chatbot known as “Bard”, which is being tested for its compatibility with other Google products like Gmail. While AI holds tremendous potential for automating mundane tasks and helping in search and summarisation of research, many professionals have warned against the potential dangers of AI on humanity.
Google is a leading global technology innovator and internet search engine, headquartered in Mountain View, California. Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, the company offers a wide range of services and products including advertising technologies, cloud computing, and internet-related services. Google also produces hardware products such as the Chromecast streaming device and Google Pixel smartphones. Sundar Pichai is an Indian-American business executive who was appointed as CEO of Google in 2015, and currently serves as CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company. Pichai previously held key positions at the company and has long been committed to promoting AI technology.
