Election risks, safety summits and Scarlett Johansson: the week in AI
May 30, 2024
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This podcast explores the week in AI, including controversies with OpenAI's chatbot resembling Scarlett Johansson, a global AI summit in South Korea, and a report on AI influencing elections. Dig into the impact of AI on democracy, safety summits, and the challenges in AI development.
18:52
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Quick takeaways
AI can undermine election candidates through character assassinations and targeted voter manipulation.
Existential risks in AI development require a focus on safety practices and mitigation of catastrophic outcomes.
Deep dives
AI's Influence on Election Campaigns
The podcast discusses how AI is used in election campaigns to undermine candidates. For instance, the potential risk highlighted involves "character assassinations", which are AI-generated content containing false allegations against political figures. Additionally, AI can influence campaigns through voter targeting, using generative AI to sway individuals' political preferences through social media platforms like Twitter.
AI's Impact on Democratic Processes
The episode explores the concept of information threats fueled by AI, such as spreading fake news to manipulate public opinion during elections. These threats include disseminating misinformation about voting requirements, polling locations, and election dates. The interactive nature of AI-generated content makes it more convincing and poses challenges in discerning truth from falsehood, potentially impacting democratic processes.
Addressing Existential Risks and Ensuring AI Safety
The podcast delves into the discussion around existential risks associated with AI development and the importance of ensuring AI safety. It highlights concerns raised by AI campaigner Max Tegmark regarding the focus on broader AI effects over existential risks. The episode also mentions challenges faced by organizations like OpenAI in maintaining safety measures, emphasizing the need to embed safety practices throughout AI development to mitigate potential catastrophic outcomes.
It’s been a busy week in the world of artificial intelligence. OpenAI found itself in hot water with Scarlett Johansson after launching its new chatbot, Sky, drawing comparisons to the Hollywood star’s character in the sci-fi film Her. In South Korea, the second global AI summit took place, and a report from the Alan Turing Institute explored how AI could influence elections. The Guardian’s UK technology editor, Alex Hern, tells Madeleine Finlay about what’s been happening. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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