A group of more than 1,000 AI executives and experts, including SpaceX, Tesla, and Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, have signed a letter urging AI labs to “immediately pause” training AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months.
The missive, published by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, warns that AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose serious risks to society and humanity. It further notes that the development of advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth.
While in recent months AI labs have entered an “out-of-control race” to develop ever more powerful digital minds that no one can reliably understand, predict, or control, the letter highlights the need to plan and manage with care and resources accordingly, given that such a level of management is not occurring.
The letter also questions whether we should develop non-human minds that may eventually outnumber us, outsmart us, make us obsolete, and replace us. It urges that AI systems be developed when there is assurance that their effects will be positive and their risks manageable and calls on AI developers to work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate the development of robust governance systems in the area of AI. The experts suggest that AI labs take advantage of the pause to jointly develop and implement shared security protocols for advanced AI design and development that are rigorously audited and monitored by independent external experts. In summary, the letter urges not to rush AI development and to take steps to ensure its safety and benefit to humanity.