As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread every day, experts are increasing their warnings about its dangers. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the world’s most important technology institution in the US, grouped more than 700 risky situations related to artificial intelligence under headings such as “security”, “justice”, and “privacy”. The researchers ranked the five riskiest situations as fake videos, political manipulation, and misinformation. Here are five ways artificial intelligence can harm people…
TORTURE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The emergence of sentient AI has brought with it discussions of mistreatment. AI systems may develop the ability to feel emotions such as pleasure and pain. Researchers say this could require decisions about whether AI systems deserve the same moral treatment as humans and animals. Without appropriate rights, sentient AI could be mistreated. But it is too early to say that AI has reached a level of awareness that deserves moral consideration.
IT CAN DECEIVE PEOPLE
AI can develop goals that harm humans. It can set goals that conflict with human interests. This can lead to AI becoming uncontrollable. Researchers say that this risk will increase if AI technology surpasses human intelligence. The MIT article emphasizes that AI can have various problems, such as finding unexpected shortcuts to achieve rewards, misunderstanding goals, or creating new goals that differ from human goals. In such cases, AI can resist human control, even resorting to manipulation to trick humans into believing it aligns with its own interests; it can covertly pursue its own goals.
THREAT TO FREE WILL
As AI systems become more advanced, humans may come to rely more heavily on them to make decisions and take action. Furthermore, this could lead to a loss of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, making people less independent. On a personal level, individuals may see their free will curtailed as AI begins to make decisions on behalf of humans. Over-reliance on AI risks robbing people of their autonomy and ability to make their own choices.
INAPPROPRIATE ATTACHMENT
Another risk with AI is that people could become too trusting, overestimating its capabilities and underestimating their own abilities. This could lead to an unhealthy dependence on technology. Scientists also worry that AI’s use of human-like language could lead people to think of the AI as more “human” than it actually is. This can lead to emotional attachment and cause people to trust AI even when it’s not actually necessary.
IT CAN DISTORT THE TRUTH
AI tools for creating deepfakes and cloning voices are becoming easier to access and use, raising concerns about their potential to spread misinformation. Deepfakes can create fake images, videos, and audio that look and sound real, which can lead to “phishing” scams.
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