Renowned scientists and business leaders from the US and China are calling for greater collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence amid growing concerns that humanity might lose control of the rapidly evolving technology.
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At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which commenced in Shanghai on Saturday, Nobel laureate and AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton proposed the establishment of “an international community of AI safety institutes and associations that works on techniques for training AI to be benevolent”.
In his talk, Hinton acknowledged the challenges of international cooperation owing to divergent national interests on issues such as cyberattacks, lethal autonomous weapons, and the creation of fake videos that manipulate public opinion. However, he emphasised a critical common ground: “No country wants AI to take over”.
Hinton warned that AI was akin to a “cute tiger cub” kept as a pet by humans, but which could become dangerous as it matured. He stressed the importance of preventing this scenario through international cooperation, drawing parallels to US-Soviet collaboration on nuclear non-proliferation during the Cold War.
Yan Junjie, founder and CEO of Shanghai-based AI unicorn MiniMax, said “AGI [artificial general intelligence] will undoubtedly become a reality, serving and benefiting everyone”.
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