Generative artificial intelligence will change the world, whether we like it or not. And at this pivotal moment in the development of AI technology, public and private stakeholders must do everything in their power to ensure the integrity, fairness, and sustainability of AI outcomes. The material in the publication came out with such accents Project syndicate by Klaus Schwab, founder and president of the World Economic Forum in Davos (Klaus schwab).
In recent months, the development of artificial intelligence has accelerated significantly: such generative AI systems as ChatGPT and Midjourney are rapidly transforming a wide range of professional activities and creative processes. The window of opportunity for properly directing the development of this technology to minimize risks and increase benefits is closing fast.
Opportunities provided by generative artificial intelligence systems, such as Chat GPT, having great prospects, require special attention from the states regarding the safety of the use of artificial intelligence technologies.
Virtually all technological advances have both positive and negative effects on society. On the one hand, they have contributed to the growth of economic productivity and incomes, the expansion of access to information and communication technologies, the increase of people's life expectancy and the improvement of general well-being. On the other hand, they have led to displacement of workers, stagnant wages, rising inequality, and an increasing concentration of resources among individuals and corporations.
AI is no exception. Generative AI systems open up vast opportunities in areas such as product design, content creation, drug discovery, healthcare, personalized learning, and energy optimization. At the same time, they can be extremely destructive and even harmful to the economy and society.
The risks already created by advanced AI, and those that can be reasonably anticipated, are significant. In addition to the large-scale reorientation of labor markets, systems with multilingual models can increase the spread of misinformation and perpetuate destructive prejudices. Generative AI also threatens to exacerbate economic inequality. Such systems may even pose an existential risk to humanity.
For some, this is an excuse to slow down research in the field of AI. Last month, more than 1000 AI technologists, from Elon Musk to Steve Wozniak, signed an open letter recommending that AI labs "immediately suspend" training on systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. In their opinion, during this pause, a set of common security protocols should be developed and implemented, "thoroughly tested and monitored by independent external experts."
The open letter and the lively debate it sparked underscores the urgent need for stakeholders to engage in a process of agreeing on common guidelines for the development and implementation of advanced AI. It is necessary to take into account the problems of automation and replacement of jobs, the digital divide and the concentration of control over technological assets.
Proposals to control artificial intelligence are already emerging, particularly in the United States and the European Union. Organizations such as the World Economic Forum also contribute. In 2021, the Forum established the Global Digital Security Coalition, which aims to bring together stakeholders in the fight against harmful content on the Internet and promote the exchange of best practices in the field of Internet security regulation. Subsequently, the Forum created the Digital Trust Initiative to ensure the development of AI in the public interest.
Klaus Schwab calls for urgent cooperation between the public and private sectors to solve the problems associated with the emergence of generative AI and to reach a consensus on the next steps in the development and implementation of the technology. To advance progress, the Forum, in partnership with AI Commons—a non-profit organization supported by AI practitioners, academia, and non-governmental organizations focused on the common good—will host a global summit on generative AI in San Francisco on April 26-28. Stakeholders will discuss the impact of technology on business, society and the planet and work together to find ways to mitigate negative externalities and achieve safer, more sustainable, fairer outcomes.
At this turning point in the development of technology, a joint approach is needed, which will make it possible to do everything possible to ensure that AI meets the common interests and values of humanity.
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