Artificial Intelligence
| Our Final Invention author James Barrat recently gave a talk about how the pursuit of advanced artificial intelligence challenges humanity's existence with machines that won't love or hate humans, but whose indifference could spell our doom. |
Documentary film maker and author of Our Final Invention, James Barrat recently gave a lecture (above) titled, "The Question of Our Time: Can We Share Our World with Smarter-than-Human Machines?" at his Alma Mater.
The talk covers "the development of AI, what researchers are doing wrong, and where they are headed if they don't start making changes in plans now." Barrat says, "I sincerely believe this is the most important conversation we can be having at this point in history."
Barrat has written and directed films on Afghanistan, the lost gospels, ancient tombs and great castles for National Geographic, PBS, Discovery Channel and other broadcasters in the United States and Europe.
| Related articles |
Barrat recently appeared on "CBS This Morning" with writer Gary Marcus, of "The New Yorker," and in an in-depth interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's "Lang and O'Leary Exchange."
"Morally, do we want to introduce these machines into the world? Because, once they exist, you can't take them back." |
"As a culture we're entering a period of unease about technology," Barrat said. "We live in environments where computers are everywhere, and we're never apart from them. They're in our houses, our cars, our smartphones. We're beginning to see how that compromises things like our attention, privacy and safety."I think that's why my book ‘Our Final Invention' has been well received by the public and by technologists," he noted. "Ethical debates about high tech are everywhere."
As an example, Barrat cited current arguments about the development of autonomous killer drones and battlefield robots. "Those are killing machines that make the decision to kill without humans in the loop. Morally, do we want to introduce these machines into the world? Because, once they exist, you can't take them back."The ongoing National Security Agency (NSA) scandal also is about artificial intelligence, Barrat said. "The NSA developed powerful data mining tools, and nothing could stop them from using them on Americans-not common sense, not the Constitution. Data mining is AI."
"We're all taking a closer look at AI because it's not so futuristic anymore," Barrat said.
"My book won't make anyone feel better about the challenges ahead," the author noted. "One review said if you read this book you won't need coffee this week. It's a wake-up call about the most difficult technological struggle we'll face-the development of advanced AI."
Despite his reservations about AI, Barrat is enthusiastic about his next documentary, which harkens back to ancient times–with robots.
"I'm making an archeology film for National Geographic, a nice break from AI," he said. "But ironically, I'm taking three little robots to Sudan. They'll explore a Kush-era pyramid–about 700 B.C.–to find the best way for excavators to get into the king's burial chamber. The robots will see the king before we do."
SOURCE Davidson College
| By 33rd Square | Embed |
0 comments:
Post a Comment