The Three Biggest Fears About AI: Are They Valid?

The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) has issued a warning on the 3 major fears surrounding AI. The statement has been supported by various big players in the AI industry such as Sam Altman, the head of ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The growing concern over the risks that AI imposes on humanity has increased over the recent months, with some of the technology’s creators claiming that we are headed towards destruction, and others highlighting that immediate regulations are required. However, David Krueger, a Cambridge University assistant professor and AI expert, said that while people are looking for concrete scenarios for the existential risks posed by AI, there is still uncertainty regarding these risks. According to the expert, one of the biggest risks is that AI could go rogue and become uncontrollable. However, there are disagreements on how to define this risk. Additionally, Krueger asserts that the risk posed by the use of AI in military applications would be catastrophic. The second main fear is related to AI replacing human jobs. It is believed that the use of AI to make important societal decisions could also result in systematic bias that can ultimately become a grave risk. Furthermore, generative AI image models have been found to produce harmful stereotypes. Such biases have not been detected in AI systems that make real-world decisions, a factor that experts are concerned about. The training data for AI is largely English-language based, which increases the possibility of biases.