REBROADCAST: Why one ‘godfather of AI’ warns humans must exert control
Jun 12, 2024
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Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, one of the 'godfathers of AI,' discusses his shift towards preventing AI from harming humanity. He delves into policy changes, regulatory measures like the EU -AI Act, the need for legislation for AI safety, and the limitations of current AI systems.
Yoshua Bengio advocates for addressing AI threats through policy changes worldwide.
Yoshua Bengio stresses the importance of legislation requiring companies to provide scientific evidence of AI safety.
Deep dives
Yoshua Bengio's Reflections on AI and Responsibility
Yoshua Bengio, dubbed one of the godfathers of AI, expressed his discomfort with the title and highlighted his shift towards focusing on the safety of AI systems. Bengio emphasized the urgency to address threats posed by AI and the need for both scientific and political solutions. He discussed the psychological aspects and challenges of pivoting his research towards AI safety, advocating for a collective effort to ensure responsible AI development.
Regulatory Urgency and Principles for AI Governance
Bengio emphasized the urgency for regulatory frameworks to ensure AI safety and highlighted the importance of a principle-based approach that holds companies accountable for building safe AI systems. He advocated for laws requiring companies to report on their AI safety measures and stressed the flexibility needed in regulations to adapt to evolving technology risks.
AI Ethics, Regulations, and the Role of Industry
Bengio supported the idea of legislation mandating companies to provide scientific evidence of AI system safety, emphasizing the need for rigorous testing and verification by independent experts. He discussed the risks associated with reinforcement learning in AI training and proposed a shift towards building AI systems with safeguards to prevent potential dangers, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to address AI risks and promote responsible innovation.
Host Steven Overly is in Canada this week for The US-Canada Summit, hosted by BMO Financial Group and Eurasia Group — and it got him thinking about another Canadian who's been on the podcast before: Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio. Bengio has been dubbed one of the “godfathers of AI,” although he’s not exactly thrilled about the title. Still, Bengio devoted most of his professional life to making AI smarter. But now, he wants to prevent AI from destroying humanity. On POLITICO Tech, Bengio tells host Steven Overly about his professional pivot and what policy changes he’s pushing for around the world.