Obama says AI’s future shouldn’t just be left to tech leaders

Former President Barack Obama said he is “encouraged” by Artificial Intelligence companies calling for a slowdown, but warned that the technology's future benefits or harms hinge on decisions being made “right now” that shouldn’t just be left to tech leaders.

“Whether this technology results in amazing breakthroughs in medicine, energy and education or unleashes huge economic disruptions, greater inequality, and potential catastrophe will depend on the choices that we make right now – choices that should be made not just by the companies involved, but by all of us,” Obama said in a Sept. 14 social media post.

Obama weighed in after the AI debate exploded over the weekend following Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s publication of an essay on his website raising concerns about the technology’s rapid advancement and lack of guardrails.

Amodei’s call to “slow the pace” of AI development to allow “risk prevention to keep up” was quickly endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI founder Elon Musk, two other AI leaders.

Amodei touted the potential benefits of AI in his essay, but said he has become increasingly concerned in recent months that “more prudence” is required to address the technology's risks, including cyberattacks, bioterrorism and economic…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/