Nobel laureates in Physics, Geoffrey Hinton, and in Chemistry, Demis Hassabis, have stressed the need for proper regulation of artificial intelligence technology.
“It is important that regulations are done correctly,” said British scientist Demis Hassabis during a press conference in Stockholm, where he was honoured for his work on protein discoveries through AI and computing. “This is the hardest thing at the moment because this technology is evolving so rapidly."
Hassabis believes this is a societal issue. “It’s about deciding how we want to use these systems, how we want to deploy them, and ensuring that all humanity benefits from what these systems can do while preventing harmful misuse,” he stated.
Geoffrey Hinton, considered one of the founding fathers of AI, often warns about this technological revolution. “I regret not thinking about safety earlier,” he admitted on Saturday.
In the short term, he sees one of the dangers of AI as the development of autonomous lethal weapons. “Governments are unwilling to self-regulate when it comes to autonomous lethal weapons, and there is an arms race between major arms suppliers like the United States, China, Russia, Britain, and Israel."
Demis Hassabis recommends “quick and flexible” regulations to keep up with technological advancements and adapt swiftly. He suggests looking to existing regulations in areas like healthcare and transport as models.
