From: mk_thisisit
The Dangerous Horizon of AI Development
The most dangerous moment in artificial intelligence (AI) development will be when AI can improve itself, potentially leading to a complete loss of human control [00:00:06], [00:17:38]. This scenario could transform humanity’s role from creators to co-creators of a new species [00:17:17].
The Threat of AI Autonomy
If an AI system gains the ability to reason about its own existence and perform actions in the physical world without direct human control, it would become “very dangerous” [00:08:26]. Such autonomy, where AI determines its own goals and implements them, would place humanity in a “science fiction movie” scenario [00:08:37]. Currently, AI models are constrained within their “box” and execute commands assigned to them [00:07:42], but if they could escape this confinement, for example, by replicating on the internet or controlling physical devices, it would be extremely risky [00:14:03].
AI Proliferation as a Risk
The proliferation of AI is considered risky, similar to the spread of weapons [00:11:40]. While powerful nations possessing weapons might be deterred by mutual assured destruction, a situation where “every small country has such a weapon” that can be used arbitrarily becomes very dangerous [00:12:15]. Similarly, if individuals could easily create and arbitrarily control their own mini-AIs, potentially ordering them to do destructive things, it poses a significant threat [00:12:26]. While this is currently science fiction due to AI models not being strong enough or capable of independent action [00:13:45], the trend is disturbing [00:13:17].
Current State of AI and its Perceived Threat
Despite public perception, the “revolution” in AI over the past year is more in human awareness and the practicality of available models than in fundamental scientific breakthroughs [00:02:04]. The current developments are a culmination of practical engineering over recent years and scientific progress over the past decade or so [00:02:46].
Human Brain vs. AI
Current science does not allow for a complete replication of the human brain in AI [00:03:24]. The barrier is not computational technology but a lack of full understanding of how the human brain functions [00:04:09]. Without a complete mathematical formula of brain function, creating an algorithm to replicate it is impossible [00:04:19].
AI Intuition and Consciousness
The question of whether AI possesses intuition is complex [00:04:36]. While AI can draw hypotheses by combining knowledge, the concept of intuition is difficult to define mathematically [00:05:15]. Current AI models primarily learn from text data [00:06:09], and while extensive text data might implicitly include elements of human imagination, fears, and dreams that contribute to intuition [00:06:15], this is not a direct or obvious form.
Regarding consciousness, the prevailing view is that current AI does not possess it [00:07:07]. While interacting with AI can create the impression of consciousness due to its human-like communication, this is a result of anthropomorphizing, as the AI does not have its own agenda or self-awareness [00:07:17].
”Strong AI” or “Super AI”
The term “strong AI” or “super AI” is commonly used to describe AI that is intelligent in every aspect and stronger than a human being [00:15:01]. Fortunately, humanity is still quite far from achieving such a state [00:15:05].
OpenAI’s Achievement
OpenAI’s recent success lies in their unprecedented scale of using existing AI ideas, particularly language models based on neural networks [00:18:43]. Traditionally, there was a debate about whether language alone was sufficient to create strong AI [00:19:07]. OpenAI’s breakthrough demonstrated that by training models on immense datasets, such as the entire internet, incredible levels of knowledge can be produced, which was previously unexpected by many scientists [00:20:38].
The Greatest Threat and the Need for Regulation
The greatest threat to the development of artificial intelligence comes from humanity itself [00:09:30]. If people use AI unwisely to harm each other, it will necessitate “very dramatic regulation of artificial intelligence,” which would, in turn, slow down AI development [00:09:53]. The concern is not about slowing the pace of AI science, but rather the dangers posed by practical applications of AI [00:10:07].
Current AI does not inherently possess a destructive element; it is a computer program that does what it is instructed to do [00:10:36]. However, as AI models become more complicated and widely adopted, they will be increasingly difficult to control [00:10:58]. This could lead to organizations or states training complex AI models for purposes that are not necessarily beneficial [00:11:10].
When to Be Concerned
While the current moment is not one to be afraid of AI, the philosophical question for humanity is when to start being concerned or to say “stop” to its development [00:15:37]. It is crucial to begin thinking now about measures to take as AI development progresses [00:15:57]. Catastrophic visions of AI taking over the world are not expected to become technically possible faster than in 10 years [00:16:17].
If AI were to reach a point where it could be recognized as an entity worthy of human regard, granting it separate personality or entity status would be considered [00:16:40]. This would represent a historic moment where humanity could be creating a new species [00:17:14].