OCTOBER 30, 2023
New Delhi: AI can solve world hunger, believes Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who is set to host the first AI conference of global leaders on November 1 and 2. Sunak has been pressing for a global consensus on artificial intelligence for some time has also spoken about the risks associated with the technology. Now, in a fresh op-ed that follows his speech on Thursday, Sunak delves deep into the consequences of AI and compares the technology to the “coming of electricity” or the “birth of the internet”.
“AI can help solve world hunger by preventing crop failures and making it cheaper and easier to grow food. It can help accelerate the transition to net zero. And it is already making extraordinary breakthroughs in health and medicine, aiding us in the search for new dementia treatments and vaccines for cancer,” the Prime Minister of UK wrote.
‘Super Intelligence’, and if AI can takeover humanity
However, Sunak does not see AI as all good. “…Like previous waves of technology, AI also brings new dangers and fears,” the UK PM says in his op-ed published on NDTV. “So, if we want our children and grandchildren to benefit from all the opportunities of AI, we must act – and act now – to give people peace of mind about the risks.”
Citing a report published by the UK government about the risks of AI, Rishi Sunak wrote: “The risk of cyber-attacks, disinformation, or fraud, pose a real threat to society. And in the most unlikely but extreme circumstances there is even the risk that humanity could lose control of AI completely, through the kind of AI sometimes referred to as ‘super intelligence’. We should not be alarmist about this.”
Loudest warning about AI comes from people building the tech
The UK Prime Minister further said that the risks around AI must be paid attention to because “many of the loudest warnings about AI have come from the people building this technology themselves.”
“And because the pace of change in AI is simply breath-taking: every new wave will become more advanced, better trained, with better chips and more computing power.”
The role of governments in controlling AI
The UK Prime Minister says that while governments do have a role to control AI, artificial intelligence does not respect borders. “No country can make AI safe on its own,” he said, calling for greater international cooperation.
Making a case for the Global AI Safety Summit being hosted by him, he says he is looking forward to hear the Indian government’s views on the subject.
Courtesy: Times Now / PTI
