Former Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt said that AI technology can offer many advantages, such as AI doctors and AI tutors, but at the same time it is essential that the industry must ensure that the technology “doesn’t harm but just helps”. He recently spoke to ABC “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday and explained the promise and danger that AI offers. Schmidt spoke of the speedy growth of ChatGPT- a bot that is supported by data and algorithms to respond to queries, wherein it had earlier acquired 100 million users in just two months.
He spoke of the concerns of how AI could be utilized to manipulate people’s mind sets, as well as its projection on democracies; leading technology leaders and experts have already called for a pause on new technologies so as to prevent any backlash from its usage. He advised for a cohesive approach from the whole AI industry to formulate appropriate “guardrails” for the technology.
Google is a prominent company involved in the research, development, and utilization of AI technology. Founded in 1998 by Stanford University alumni Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the tech mammoth has grown to become one of the most diverse and expansive companies in the world, offering innovative services such as Chrome, Android OS, Gmail and Youtube.
Eric Schmidt has had a vital role in the development of Google over the years. A software engineer by training and a veteran of the technology industry, Schmidt was the CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011 and the Chairman from 2011 to 2015. Further, he also served as executive chairman of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. from 2015 to 2017. During his tenure at Google, Schmidt was instrumental in recognizing the potential of digitization and leading the company to becoming a major technological leader and innovation centre. He was also an early adopter of AI technology and is continuing to support and actively promote its development through his current tenure as a Senior Technical Adviser.
