The open letter released today by various signatories (e.g. Elon Musk) and calling for a pause in development of AI has drawn so many signatures they were forced place a disclaimer on the bottom of the page explaining they had a backlog in verifying signatories.
The gist of the letter:
Risks of Smart AI
These experts are concerned about AI systems that could become as smart as humans or even smarter. They think these AIs might cause big problems for society and people’s lives. The researchers worry about how such AI could change the way we get information, do our jobs, and more.
Calling for a Break
To deal with these risks, the authors want AI labs to stop developing systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. They say we need this time to think carefully about what advanced AI could mean for us all.
Making AI Safer
If there’s a pause in development, the letter suggests AI labs and outside experts should team up. They want to create safety rules for designing and building AI to make sure future systems don’t cause harm.
Changing AI Research Goals
Instead of trying to make AI more and more powerful, the authors think researchers should focus on making current AI safer and easier to understand.
New Rules Needed
The letter also calls for governments to step up. The experts want new laws and organizations to keep an eye on AI development and handle the big changes AI might bring to our economy and society.
This letter is a big deal in the world of AI. It shows that even the people creating these technologies are worried about where things are going and want to make sure AI helps rather than hurts us (if we can take them at their word).
