‘Godfathers’ of modern AI join call for cooling off of superintelligence research
Life
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A coalition of more than 850 people, including key figures from various disciplines, has called for a halt to the development of artificial superintelligence. The group includes prominent AI experts such as Yoshua Bengio and Geoff Hinton, often regarded as the ‘godfathers’ of modern AI, as well as big names like Richard Branson and Steve Wozniak.
The statement points to the potential risks of superintelligence, which surpasses human abilities in nearly every cognitive domain. Concerns range from economic displacement and loss of autonomy to national security.
The signatories are calling for a cooling-off period in the development of superintelligence until there is strong public backing and a full scientific consensus on safety and controllability.
This call to action reflects the growing concern over the rapid advancement of AI, particularly the rise of powerful, large-scale language models developed by companies like xAI and OpenAI.
Alongside AI specialists and tech giants, the statement has garnered support from a broad range of people, including academics, media personalities, religious figures, and former US politicians. The statement even features signatures from high-profile individuals such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
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