AI could very soon pose an existential threat to mankind and might have to be “unplugged” for good, according to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
“We’re soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do,” said Schmidt, a long-time prophet of the dangers of AI, during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
“That’s a dangerous point: When the system can self improve, we need to seriously think about unplugging it,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt and other important tech figures and CEOs aren’t worried so much about consumer AI systems like ChatGPT, which has improved exponentially in recent years, but more complicated “artificial general intelligence” (AGI), which could perhaps have real sentience and develop conscious motives that differ from those of their human masters.
Schmidt said no AGI systems exist at present, but we’re moving quickly toward a new, middle ground: a system that doesn’t have the sentience of an AGI, but would still be able to act autonomously, for instance in research or control of weaponry.
“I’ve done this for 50 years. I’ve never seen innovation at this scale,” Schmidt said.
He added that more developed AI would have significant benefits to humanity, but could also bring just as many “bad things like weapons and cyber attacks.”
Schmidt said that the complexity and urgency of the problem requires massive cooperation between companies and countries.
At the same time, there are incentives to skip proper safety protocols to get ahead of competitors.
“The competition is so fierce, there’s a concern that one of the companies will decide to omit the [safety] steps and then somehow release something that really does some harm,” Schmidt said. The harm might only be clear when it’s already too late.
In the worst-case scenario, AGI systems could be used to engineer devastating biological and nuclear weapons, including by terror groups like ISIS. Schmidt said it’s essential the United States continue to innovate in the field, and maintain dominance over China and other adversaries.
Donald Trump has indicated his desire to make the US the world’s foremost player in AI, while acknowledging the difficulties the technology could bring.
“It brings with it difficulty, but we have to be at the forefront,” Trump said on Logan Paul’s podcast.
“It’s going to happen, and if it’s going to happen, we have to take the lead over China. China’s the primary threat.”
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