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 is thus:
In light of the rapid advancements in AI systems with human-competitive intelligence, concerns have arisen regarding their potential risks to society and humanity. Extensive research and top AI labs emphasize the need for careful planning and management, as highlighted in the Asilomar AI Principles. However, the current race to develop and deploy powerful digital minds remains largely uncontrolled. To mitigate these risks, it’s crucial that AI labs pause the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least 6 months. During this pause, efforts should be focused on developing shared safety protocols, enhancing AI governance systems, and refining existing AI technologies for accuracy, safety, and alignment with human values. This will help ensure a beneficial AI future and give society time to adapt.