Elon Musk’s influence on a Donald Trump administration could lead to tougher security requirements for synthetic intelligence, in accordance to a leading scientist who has labored intently with the world’s richest particular person on addressing AI’s risks.
Max Tegmark mentioned Musk’s help for a failed AI invoice in California underlined the billionaire’s continued concern over a problem that didn’t characteristic prominently in Trump’s marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, Musk has warned frequently that unrestrained improvement of AI – broadly, laptop programs performing duties that sometimes require human intelligence – could be catastrophic for humanity. Final 12 months, he was one among more than 30,000 signatories to a letter calling for a pause in work on highly effective AI expertise.
Talking to the Guardian on the Internet Summit in Lisbon, Tegmark mentioned Musk, who is anticipated to be heavily influential in the president-elect’s administration, could persuade Trump to introduce requirements that stop the event of synthetic basic intelligence (AGI), the time period for AI programs that match or exceed human ranges of intelligence.
“I do suppose that if Elon manages to get Trump’s ear on AI points we’re extra doubtless to get some type of security requirements, one thing that forestalls AGI,” he mentioned.
Tegmark, a professor specialising in AI on the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how, added: “He would possibly assist Trump perceive that an AGI race is a suicide race.”
Tegmark mentioned Musk’s help for the SB 1047 invoice in California, within the face of opposition from lots of his tech friends, was a constructive signal for AI security campaigners. The invoice, which required corporations to stress-test giant AI fashions earlier than releasing them, was vetoed by the California governor, Gavin Newsom, after he mentioned it could drive AI businesses from the state and hinder innovation.
“Elon Musk got here out and mentioned I’m for it, I need the regulation. I do suppose it’s not utterly implausible he could persuade Trump that AI wants to be managed,” Tegmark mentioned.
Musk was an early supporter and financial backer of Tegmark’s Way forward for Life Institute, which campaigns for safer use of cutting-edge expertise. The Tesla chief government and proprietor of X’s personal fortune has swelled significantly since Trump’s victory final week.
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Musk launched his personal AI startup final 12 months and mentioned the world wanted to worry about a “Terminator future” in order to head off the worst-case scenario of AI systems evading human management. Different AI professionals have argued that focusing on apocalyptic considerations distracts from focusing on short-term issues with AI programs, akin to manipulated and misleading content.
Trump has vowed to repeal a Biden administration executive order on AI safety; the Republican get together’s election platform described it as a set of restrictions that “imposes radical leftwing concepts on the event of this expertise”.
The order consists of requiring corporations creating high-risk programs – AI fashions that pose a risk to nationwide safety, financial safety or well being and security – to share their security check outcomes with the federal government.