Should governments be more involved in the devlopment of AI?

[noname223]

In the US the private sector is reponsible for the development. At least this is what they say. I am not entirely sure whether that's the full truth.

I read two Foreign Affair articles on AI. This one was really interesting.

The AI Grand Bargain

What America needs to win the innovation race.

www.foreignaffairs.com

I will copy only a few passages.

MAXING OUT
It is easy to see why Washington's light-touch approach to AI has, by and large, paid dividends. Past revolutionary technologies, such as nuclear weapons and space flight, did not have immediate commercial applications. But the business case for modern AI is already highly compelling. AI firms have found huge user demand, resulting in skyrocketing revenues, and they have promised to automate myriad valuable tasks, such as coding. As a result, capital markets are funding AI projects at scales that would historically have required government resources. Moreover, the computation-centric nature of today's AI means that it builds neatly on the cloud computing infrastructure that the private sector, not the government, has mastered.

The sufficiency of private-sector capital in enabling AI advances is wonderful for taxpayers, but the limits of this approach are becoming apparent. To see why, look at infrastructure. The vast fleets of computer chips needed to develop and use today's AI require extraordinary amounts of energy, so U.S. companies will need more power to fuel the data centers they plan to build in the coming years.

My comment: The US was involved in the invention of most groundbreaking, disruptive technologies of the past. The internet, nuclear weapons, space flight and much more. They argue that the one who is leading the AI race will also have an advantage in geopolitics. And it is true Europeans are disadvantaged and too dependent on the US. I think the US intelligence services could profit from that technology too. (they probably already do). But I am not sure whether they would really be that helpful in advancing the technology. The fundamental research for AI was also done in Europe. But we don't have a business case. We lack venture capital and the best talents go to US tech companies. I think the deveopment of AI should be better regulated. But the Trump administration has a completely different approach.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think governments should instead be focussed on the dangers of what AI will bring to the population. How many jobs will it replace? Will those people be able to find other work?

Already even here- we can see an impact. Young people concerned that their job prospects are being threatened by robots. What's that going to do for their motivation and mental health?

I suppose it is possible that AI will one day break loose from our control and kill us all. If geniuses like Stephen Hawking could see the threat, then I imagine it's plausible.

I think Governments should be more focussed on the safety and welfare side to it. Not on how to make the most money with their best buddies at the heads of all the corporations.

I suppose I think Governments should be considering more limitation and staggered implementation. Rather than wholesale investment. The development work is already being done by all these other companies- keen to make more money in the long term.

 

[DarkRange55]

In the US the private sector is reponsible for the development. At least this is what they say. I am not entirely sure whether that's the full truth.

In the US, both universities and the private sector are responsible for research, and the private sector is responsible for development of commercial uses.

The US was involved in the invention of most groundbreaking, disruptive technologies of the past. The internet, nuclear weapons, space flight and much more. They argue that the one who is leading the AI race will also have an advantage in geopolitics. And it is true Europeans are disadvantaged and too dependent on the US. I think the US intelligence services could profit from that technology too. (they probably already do). But I am not sure whether they would really be that helpful in advancing the technology. The fundamental research for AI was also done in Europe.

And in Canada. My mentor chaired proposal evaluation committees that funded Canadian researchers, including Yoshua Bengio. And Geoffery Hinton is also from Canada.

But we don't have a business case. We lack venture capital and the best talents go to US tech companies.

Generally true.