Is AI Dangerous?

Artificial Intelligence has been labeled the biggest existential threat to humanity by Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, and other industry leaders and researchers.

With day-by-day advancements and various speculations related to the dangers of AI, people are worried about AI risks. There are many questions in the mind of a common person who has no idea of the technology.

In this article, we will explain how dangerous AI is and highlight some of the major risks involved. We will also talk about the mitigation of AI risks and how it can be used for the benefit of humanity.

Whether AI is dangerous or not depends on how it is programmed, used, and controlled.

It can be extremely dangerous if it is in the wrong hands.

"The biggest existential threat facing humanity is artificial intelligence. In the hands of the wrong people, it could be much worse than nuclear weapons," said Elon Musk.

But if it is in the right hands, it could be beneficial for people in almost every aspect of life.

Demis Hassabis (The CEO of DeepMind) said, "While some voices focus on the dystopian possibilities of AI, I believe we should be directing our energy towards harnessing AI for good. AI has the potential to solve some of humanity's most pressing challenges, from climate change and disease to poverty and education. Let's focus on developing safe and beneficial AI that can truly improve our lives."

It is debatable whether AI is dangerous or not. Experts have warned about dangers, and we can't deny AI risks and potential dangers. However, we can't give a simple "Yes" or "No" answer at this stage.

AI can definitely benefit humanity, but it must be in control and within ethical boundaries.

How is AI Dangerous? Major Risks Involved

To have a better idea of how dangerous AI is, let's have a look at some major risks involved.

Superintelligence

We have experienced the trailer of AI intelligence through ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other AI applications. The intelligence is praiseworthy as it can mitigate the need for human intervention.

But the main concern is Artificial Superintelligence (ASI). Which means AI has the potential to surpass human intelligence, including knowledge and capabilities. And that's what industry leaders and researchers are worried about.

It can go beyond the control of humans and do what's not intended. It can harm humans and take over, which is a threat to human existence.

Fortunately, it is a theoretical concept. Even if it could be possible, it is far off in the future. Still, humans should not neglect the intelligence of AI and keep it in their control. It's better to be conscious before it's too late.

Job Displacement

Job displacement is the most panicking risk of AI for the commoner. AI automation can handle repetitive, less-creative, and low-skilled tasks without human intervention. That said, there will be fewer employees needed.

In the foreseeable future, AI is going to bring massive change in various industries. Companies will prefer automation of the tasks to save time and money. Which translates to job losses in a considerable number.

AI is also going to create new jobs in the future. But those will require a distinct skill set. The best way to deal with this AI risk is to upskill.

Weapon Automation

Autonomous weapons systems are way more dangerous than nuclear weapons. They can engage and destroy targets without human intervention. They pose a threat to human existence as they could start a tech cold war between countries.

It is critical to prevent any funding for AI autonomous weapons systems and research in the domain. All major military powers must understand their ethical responsibility. If any of them start developing such weapons, it will start a new race of arms development.

In 2015, some renowned AI researchers and industry leaders, including Stuart Russel, Demis Hassabis, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and Stephen Hawking, signed an open letter to prevent research and development of autonomous weapons.

AI Bias

AI programs can be biased. Why?

They are trained on specific data, which could be inaccurate or biased. Therefore, the program could offer biased results.

Suppose an AI application for HR is not trained for physically disabled persons. It won't be able to consider the specific issues and will make biased decisions based on its data.

The sources of AI bias are the data and the people behind it. Often, it results from the programmers, their gender, religion, preferences, etc.

Lack of AI Transparency

AI can do decision-making without human intervention. It can offer recommendations, results, analysis, etc.

However, it lacks transparency. It is unclear to the users how it reaches a certain conclusion. The result could be biased, inaccurate, or unfair. This lack of transparency raises questions, and people can't be satisfied with the results until it discloses the whole process.

The irony is even the AI experts and the programmers of the program can't explain the results. So, AI can make decisions, but its outcome is doubtful.

AI Risk Mitigation

After looking at the AI risks, we can say it can lead to horrible outcomes if not controlled. AI risk mitigation and safety are necessary to ensure it is under control and within the boundaries.

It is indispensable to have regulations for AI at the international level, just like nuclear weapons. Focus on ethical AI is the need of the hour. Governments should step in and take complete control of AI research and development before it's too late.

In March 2023, Elon Musk, Gary Marcus, Yoshua Bengio, Stuart Russel, and other researchers signed an open letter to pause giant AI developments like GPT-4. The primary purpose was to slow down the development, develop safety protocols, and make people aware of the dangers of AI.

How is AI Beneficial for Us?

The possible dangers of AI can neither be neglected nor the benefits we are witnessing at this stage.

AI is being used in many industries to automate tasks, analyze data, make predictions, propose new ideas, and a ton of things. If the development of AI is carried out within the boundaries, it could be beneficial for society.

Let's take a generative AI tool, Underwriter, as an example. With this tool, you can write blog posts, generate images, do voiceovers, generate codes, transcribe audio, edit content pieces, generate ideas, chat with files, and instantly generate almost any type of content.

Here's how we gave simple instructions to create an image of a man with his kids enjoying a beach at sunset. It generated a beautiful image within a few seconds.

AI tools like Underwriter can automate tasks and make them easier. Let's say a marketing team is running a campaign. They can speed up the process by generating quality articles with the help of AI, generating natural voiceovers, creating captivating images/infographics, writing social media posts, etc. They can generate new ideas for their audience and take their marketing to the next level.

Similarly, there are AI-powered chatbots for dealing with customers, HR software to automate hiring, leaves, and other processes, AI tools for drug discovery and diagnosis, etc. Simply put, AI applications and tools are revolutionizing various industries by automating tasks.

The Solution—Ethical Use of AI

The dangers of AI lie in its uncontrolled, irregulated, and unethical use. It is the right time to be mindful about it and ensure safety and regulatory measures.

At this stage, AI is capable of creating autonomous weapons systems and doing other horrible things. And in the future, it could become superintelligent.

Ethical use of AI is the only solution. If used correctly, it can be a blessing for humanity and potentially revolutionize every sector of life.