Is it time to hit the pause button on AI?
We recorded 9 claims from this post. 1 was checked against evidence. 8 can’t be checked. 2 more are held. Read the post at its source.
Claims from this post (9)
In the order they appear in the post. Each quotation is the speaker’s words in this post. A label such as “Supported” or “Can’t be checked” is the claim’s current assessment; its page has the evidence and the reasons.
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Forecast
“There's also a high risk that they will be used to create misinformation at an unprecedented scale.”
Our reading: There is a high risk that chatbots will be used to create misinformation at an unprecedented scale.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Observation
“And the reality is that even if lawmakers were suddenly gripped with an urgent desire to address this issue, most governments don't have the institutional nimbleness, or frankly knowledge, needed to match the current speed of AI development.”
Our reading: Most governments lack the institutional nimbleness and knowledge to keep pace with AI development.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“Given that the new breed of AI systems have demonstrated the ability to manipulate humans, tech companies could be subjected to similar oversight.”
Our reading: Given that new AI systems have demonstrated the ability to manipulate humans, tech companies could be subjected to oversight similar to that for pharmaceutical trials and research ethics boards.
No horizon
Qualifier: given that new AI systems have demonstrated the ability to manipulate humans
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“More transparency about how decisions about widespread AI product releases are made is probably also needed.”
Our reading: More transparency about how widespread AI product release decisions are made is probably needed.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Observation
“Events of recent weeks certainly suggest that the big titans of tech have shown they do not yet have the AI situation under control.”
Our reading: Events of recent weeks certainly suggest that the big tech companies have shown they do not yet have the AI situation under control.
No horizon
Qualifier: events of recent weeks certainly suggest
Assessment: ContradictedSaid
Observation
“At present, anybody can release AI at whatever scale they like, with virtually no oversight, literally overnight.”
Our reading: At present, anybody can release AI at whatever scale they like, with virtually no oversight, literally overnight.
No horizon Evidence as of
Limitation: The assessment uses the contract’s global reading; it does not settle a United States-only claim.
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“For the government to play catchup yet again seems foolhardy as we move towards technologies that may exceed human cognitive capabilities.”
Our reading: It seems foolhardy for the government to play catchup yet again as we move towards technologies that may exceed human cognitive capabilities.
No horizon
Qualifier: seems
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Conditional forecast
“At the same time, an outright ban on even studying AI risks throwing the baby out with the bathwater and could keep humanity from developing transformative technology that could revolutionize science, medicine, and technology.”
Our reading: An outright ban on AI research could prevent humanity from developing technology that could revolutionize science, medicine and technology.
No horizon
Only if: if AI research is banned outright
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“It’s time for government to consider frameworks that allow for AI research under a set of rules that provide ethical standards and safety, while pausing the widespread public dissemination of potentially risky new AI technologies—with severe penalties for misuse - until we can be assured of the safety of new technologies that the world frankly doesn't yet fully understand.”
Our reading: It is time for government to consider frameworks that allow AI research under rules providing ethical standards and safety, while pausing widespread public dissemination of potentially risky new AI technologies, with severe penalties for misuse, until we can be assured of the safety of these technologies.
No horizon
Qualifier: until we can be assured of the safety of new technologies
Held from this post (2)
These records did not pass every check, so nothing about them is published. Held is not a finding.
- The criteria are ambiguous. Our reading, not assessed: Microsoft, by releasing Bing chat likely knowing of prior disturbing incidents, ignored its own stated ethical principles.
- The two reviews reached different assessments. Our reading, not assessed: Chatbots are causing colleges to scramble because plagiarism has become newly easy, and the frequent plausible, authoritative but wrong answers chatbots give, which could be mistaken for fact, are also troubling.