Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, renowned for his outspoken warnings about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), has once again cautioned about the risks posed by a “benign dependency” on these complex machines, tweeting that it can be dangerous to civilization.
Musk believes that over time humans may forget how to operate the machines that enabled AI in the first place as they become reliant on them to perform even simple tasks.
In the prior tweet, Musk recommended users read E.M. Forster's 1909 dystopian short story, “The Machine Stops,” which predicted a future in which humanity is overly reliant and subordinate to machines.
The story’s eerie quote, “Above her, beneath her, and around her, the Machine hummed eternally; she did not notice the noise, for she had been born with it in her ears,” was shared in response to Musk’s tweet by a Twitter user.
Other notable eerie lines from the short story include “She had never seen him in the flesh, his photo she had, and his voice when they spoke together, was her nearest approach to human contact.”; and “The Machine stops. You know what that means. We have come to the end.”
Concerns about the dangers of AI have been a recurring theme for the entrepreneur lately. During a recent two-part interview with Tucker Carlson, Musk said that “AI is more dangerous than, say, mismanaged aircraft design or production maintenance or bad car production” and that “it has the potential of civilization destruction.”
Musk’s strong opinions on AI have been well-known for years, and he has been a vocal advocate for caution in its development. He was among a group of tech luminaries who signed an open letter urging a moratorium on its development and has dismissed other tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, for having a limited understanding of the field.
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Despite expressing concerns about the potential dangers of AI, Elon Musk’s involvement in the technology has been extensive. He was an early investor in OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, and even co-chaired its board when it was founded in 2015. However, Musk resigned from the board in 2018, a move that was linked to Tesla’s work on developing automated driving systems. Musk’s ties to AI are deep, spanning his many companies, including a rumored new venture.
AI is slowly becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives, even in more subtle ways that arguably translate to good. For example, AtomBeam is a startup using AI to reduce data size by 75%, increasing bandwidth by as much as 4x. Other companies like AvaWatz are using AI to build autonomous drone teams that can manage fields, conservation work, airfields and more.
Musk’s recent warnings about the potential dangers of AI have once again sparked important discussions about the role of technology in our lives. While AI offers numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency and innovation, it also raises valid concerns about humanity’s increasing reliance on machines. As these advanced systems become more deeply integrated into our daily lives, it is crucial for society to remain vigilant and mindful of the possible consequences.
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