Tech - News
Scientists Gave an Ominous Warning About Artificial Intelligence
By MATT MILANO
Research lab OpenAI's top scientist, Ilya Sutskever, has claimed the largest neural networks may already be developing consciousness. Elon Musk, along with Sutskever, was one of OpenAI’s original founders and participated in the company's early days, out of his concern for the potential threat AI poses to humanity.
OpenAI, which is aimed at developing artificial intelligence with the appropriate controls in place to ensure the technology doesn't become a threat, is one of the leaders in the industry, making Sutskever's statement all the more worrisome. On February 9, 2022, Sutskever tweeted his belief that current neural networks may already be "slightly conscious."
However, most experts believe machine consciousness is still some time off, despite recent advances in AI development, making it unclear whether Sutskever's statement is meant to be taken literally or facetiously — or if it was merely a prediction about what the future may hold.
Even if AI consciousness doesn’t happen in the near future, the industry still lacks the necessary safeguards to prevent Musk's fears from coming true. Sutskever has published multiple tweets seemingly in response to the criticism, saying "ego is (mostly) the enemy," that "risk minimization maximizes risk," and that "the intellect is a great refuge from emotions."