Pause or Play – AI Experiments
In this edition, we’ll explore whether to “Pause or Play – AI Experiments”.
Over 18000 individuals around the world, including notable names such as Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and Yuval Noha Harari, have signed a petition Pause Giant AI Experiments, calling on “all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months for training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium.”
The letter, in quite an ominous tone, warns about the possible risks associated with AI – “Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?”
One tends to agree that there exist risks emanating from the explosion of AI capabilities. First, the immediate and widespread risk of using AI to spread misinformation, sow distrust and deepen our inherent biases for discrimination. Second, the medium term risk of AI impacting jobs across multiple industries and domains, which may lead to people losing their employment. Finally, the threat of physical safety risks as an eventuality of AI dominating over humans.
It has been argued that terrorist groups might increasingly deploy 21st-century technologies in their attacks, such as drones and artificial intelligence. AI could be highly dangerous by enabling opponents, particularly non state actors, to automate terrorist acts.
But the risks as articulated in the letter are futuristic and speculative in nature rather than quantifying real and immediate ones associated with AI. This probably explains the response by Bill Gates to the open letter where he reportedly said – “I don’t think asking one particular group to pause solves the challenges. “I don’t really understand who they’re saying could stop, and would every country in the world agree to stop, and why to stop.”
In other words, why would countries with the power of AI deny themselves extraordinary possibilities as imagined through AI? More importantly, a global AI research halt will not prevent people from studying it. Individuals will discover ways to conceal their study, potentially allowing unethical acts to go undetected. Echoing similar concerns, billionaire investor Bill Ackman warned that shutting down AI development for six months would allow bad actors six more months to catch up to current technology.
Demands for pausing, limiting, or outrighly banning disruptive technologies is not a new phenomenon for humanity. Similar demands and campaigns have been led on issues related to nuclear energy and cloning technology.
But the wheel of fortune cannot be rotated backwards. Progress would continue due to human ingenuity. AI would continue to evolve further irrespective of whether a pause button is pressed or not. What is required is our regulatory frameworks, governance mechanisms, societal ethics should keep pace with the transformations in tech. This is best addressed by classifying the associated risks – into two categories – futuristic or speculative and second present and quantifiable. We should collectively focus on mitigating the second category of risks.
Simplistic solutions like broad moratoriums sidetrack serious policy debates, and are ultimately counterproductive. It is in our best interest to level up our knowledge and analysis about AI to reap its benefits for all.
Ecosystem Ventures This Week
Key Highlights – Events
We are pleased to share the week-long celebrations on account of the iLead Foundation Day. (Ecosystem Ventures is part of the iLead group). Exciting fun-filled activities ranging from quizzes, sports, social welfare initiatives, blood donation camp, etc, led to a renewed sense of togetherness across teams, departments, and companies.
Startup Funding Summary
DMI Finance, New Delhi-based fintech startup, has raised $400 Mn in a funding from MUFG Bank and SuMi TRUST Bank – Read More
Curefoods, Bengaluru-based cloud kitchen startup, has raised $37 Mn in a funding from Three State Ventures, IronPillar, Chiratae Ventures, ASK Finance and Winter Capital – Read More
Magenta Mobility, Bengaluru-based E-mobility startup, has raised $22 Mn in a funding from Jio-bp and Morgan Stanley India Infrastructure – Read More
Avanti Finance, Bengaluru-based NBFC startup, has raised $24 Mn in Series B funding from Rabo Partnerships, IDH Farmfit Fund, Oikocredit and NRJN Trust – Read More
Spendflo, Chennai-based SaaS buying and management platform, has raised $11 Mn in Series A funding from Prosus Ventures and Accel – Read More
M&A Snippets
Gurugram-based Insurance company InsuranceDekho has acquired Mumbai-based insurance distribution firm Verak for an undisclosed amount – Read More
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