Lecun: AI Threat to Humanity "Preposterously Ridiculous"

New York: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has generated concerns about its potential to dominate the world and replace human jobs. However, Professor Yann LeCun, one of the prominent figures in AI, dismisses these fears, calling them "preposterously ridiculous." While he acknowledges that computers may surpass human intelligence in the future, he believes it will take years to achieve such advancements. LeCun proposes a simple solution for those who deem AI unsafe: they should refrain from building it.

LeCun's perspective differs from other AI experts like Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, who consider AI a threat to humanity. He argues that the notion of AI taking over the world is a reflection of human nature projected onto machines. Moreover, LeCun asserts that it would be a mistake to restrict AI research and keep it "under lock and key."

People's concerns about AI stem from their inability to envision how it can be made safe, according to LeCun. He draws a parallel to the development of turbo-jet engines in the 1930s, stating that at the time, it would have been challenging to imagine how they could be made reliable and safe. Similarly, AI will progress in terms of safety as researchers continue to refine its capabilities.

While LeCun acknowledges that AI will eventually surpass human intelligence, he believes researchers are still missing crucial concepts required to achieve this level. He anticipates that it will take years, if not decades, to reach a point where AI operates at human-level intelligence. LeCun refers to this as artificial general intelligence (AGI), which involves systems capable of solving a broad range of problems, akin to human beings.

According to LeCun, the development of AGI will be gradual, potentially reaching the intelligence level of a rat's brain. He assures that such an AI system would be confined to a controlled data center environment and could be deactivated if necessary. If its safety is compromised, the solution is simple: do not build it.

Regarding job displacement, LeCun argues that AI will not permanently eliminate a significant number of jobs. However, he acknowledges that work will change as new technologies emerge. He emphasizes that it is impossible to predict the most prominent jobs twenty years from now.

Professor Yann LeCun dismisses concerns that AI will dominate the world or lead to permanent job losses. He considers fears about AI threatening humanity as preposterous and believes that if anyone perceives AI as unsafe, they should refrain from building it. LeCun acknowledges the potential for AI to surpass human intelligence in the future but asserts that it will take years of research. He also highlights that AI progress will be gradual and controlled, and that job landscapes will change but cannot be accurately predicted.

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