I've signed the letter asking for a pause in AI experiments - you can too

Tech leaders are worried about artificial intelligence (AI) that could generate misinformation and disinformation at scale. They’ve written an open letter asking for a pause in large AI experiments.

The letter’s authors are concerned that AI labs are “locked in an out-of-control race” to develop and launch new products. They fear that AI experiments will unleash powerful new systems before we know what these systems are actually capable of and whether or not they will have an overall positive impact. The letter asks for a 6 month pause in order to draft a set of shared safety protocols.

AI is becoming ever more present in our day to day activities, and it’s especially noticeable in communications and social media.

I hadn’t used ChatGPT (the much talked about AI app) until last week, when I had to finish a slide deck in a hurry. It was very handy to have a free app that could describe blockchain in one sentence.

ChatGPT is the best tool to beat a blank page I’ve ever come across. And I like to think I’m a writer championing writer’s rights!

Not surprisingly, LinkedIn has introduced AI to help contributors write articles. BuzzFeed has announced a new strategy using AI to write content (why bother with expensive, unpredictable human journalists)? And my friends in the civil service seem to use AI regularly, no doubt to help deliver the many reports and presentations they’re constantly asked to produce.

Will a 6 month pause in AI experiments be enough? I don’t know. But at least it’s a start. It’s not often I agree with Elon Musk, but I’ve signed the letter. You can sign it too.

Photo by Jorge Franganillo on Unsplash