Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, discusses the future of AI technology, minimizing risks, carbon consequences, AI in healthcare and education, and challenges of synthetic media in this entertaining podcast.
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Quick takeaways
Governments should take an active approach in minimizing the risks of AI by building technology themselves and having technical experts in cabinet positions.
AI models engage in interpolation and can predict and generate novel ideas in collaboration with humans, driving innovation and discovery.
Deep dives
Government's Role in AI Regulation
The speaker emphasizes that governments have a crucial role in minimizing the risks associated with AI and should take an active approach. He suggests that governments should build technology themselves rather than outsourcing, allowing them to have a better understanding and control over it. He also advocates for having technical experts and engineers in cabinet positions to make informed decisions and prioritize technology. Additionally, governments should be willing to take risks with regulation and experiment, despite potential backlash from big companies. It is acknowledged that there are challenges to implementing these suggestions, such as the need to pay competitive salaries to attract qualified individuals.
Creativity, AI, and Human Input
The speaker discusses the role of AI in creativity and invention. Contrary to the misconception that AI can only regurgitate existing information, AI models actually engage in interpolation and can predict and generate novel ideas by combining different concepts. The speaker believes that for the foreseeable future, AI will work in tandem with humans in the creative process, aiding them rather than taking over. He emphasizes the importance of human ingenuity and the unique contributions individuals bring to the table. The collaboration between human intelligence and AI is seen as the driving force behind innovation and discovery.
Addressing Concerns and Risks of AI
When it comes to deep fakes, the speaker suggests policies such as prohibiting political parties and campaigns from using AI-generated content and preventing social media platforms from allowing counterfeit digital personas. These measures serve as precautionary steps to mitigate potential risks. However, the speaker acknowledges the challenges of regulating AI and synthetic media beyond the big tech platforms. The constant evolution of technology requires continual adaptation and resilience in addressing new threats and finding effective solutions. The importance of educating individuals about potential harms and promoting vigilance is also highlighted.
The Importance of Hardware in AI
The speaker acknowledges the significance of hardware in AI development and highlights concerns regarding the concentration of chip manufacturing in certain countries, specifically mentioning NVIDIA's dominance in supplying GPUs. He explains that these chips are vital for training AI models. The limited competition in chip manufacturing poses risks to the supply chain. The speaker recognizes the potential benefits of open-source hardware, but also acknowledges that it may not be an immediate solution to the current concentration problem. The importance of monitoring critical chip access and potential export controls is stressed.
This the second instalment of our three-part episode. Mustafa Suleyman is the ultimate AI insider. As co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, he is one of the pioneers of the artificial intelligence revolution, potentially the single greatest accelerant of progress in history. His new book The Coming Wave: Technology, Power and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma, asks questions about whether society is prepared for such rapid change. In the first of a three-part conversation for this episode of Intelligence Squared, Suleyman joined Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, live at the Tabernacle theatre in London to explain how he believes we are approaching a critical threshold in the history of humankind.
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