Just a few years ago, it could answer questions or generate text. Today, it can write computer code, analyse vast amounts of data, create realistic images and videos, help scientists discover new medicines and increasingly act on its own with little human supervision.
However, while AI’s capabilities are accelerating, experts say that the rules ensuring AI is used safely are struggling to keep pace. That is the conclusion of the preliminary report by the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence launched on Wednesday. It warns that the window to establish effective global governance remains open but may not stay that way for long.
AI could become one of humanity’s most transformative technologies. Used responsibly, it could accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals by improving healthcare, education, scientific research, agriculture and accessibility for people with disabilities.
But without safeguards, the same technology could deepen inequality, spread misinformation, threaten human rights, disrupt labour markets and place powerful AI systems in the hands of very few governments and companies. The challenge, according to the report, is finding a way to unlock AI’s enormous benefits while preventing its growing risks.
Extraordinary pace of development
AI capabilities have advanced at an extraordinary pace over the past few years. Powerful new computing networks, vast amounts of training data and improved AI techniques have produced systems capable of fluent conversation, advanced scientific reasoning, software development and creating highly realistic images, audio and video.
The next wave is already emerging. Instead of simply responding to prompts, AI “agents” can increasingly plan tasks, use digital tools, write software and complete complex assignments with little or no human oversight. Researchers say the complexity of tasks these systems can complete has been doubling every few months, according to the report.
Source: The UN
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