Edward Snowden Says Institutions 'Burning The Public's Faith' At Time When AI Can Replace Them: 'A Revolution Is Coming'

Former defense contractor, Edward Snowden, recently highlighted the growing distrust in institutions coinciding with the rise of Artificial Intelligence, predicting a revolutionary shift.

What Happened: On Thursday, Snowden tweeted, “Institutions are burning the public’s faith in them at the precise moment in history when we have developed the capacity to replace them with algorithms. A revolution is coming, and if you thought human judgment was bad, just wait until you see what replaces it.”

The tweet comes in the backdrop of an ongoing debate regarding the future of AI, and the potential risks and rewards it holds.

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Why It Matters: Notably, Snowden, in an earlier statement, highlighted the need for AI models to be better than humans, not just mimic them.

He said at the time, “As with children, we don't need machines to be like us.” Snowden, who frequently comments on government surveillance said that AI models could obstruct the practice rather than fuel invasive intelligence programs. He said that would be a “net good.”

Snowden’s post underscores a vital discussion about AI’s potential in society, especially when public trust in institutions is waning. As previously noted, the likes of Tesla Inc and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former Alphabet Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt have issued warnings about AI’s existential risks.

Meanwhile, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, has argued against pausing AI developments, asserting that it’s not a solution to the challenges around AI development.

Photo via Wikimedia

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