(Rio de Janeiro) Artificial intelligence could replace “80 percent of jobs” in the coming years, but “it’s a good thing,” American researcher Ben Goertzel said in an interview with AFP.
Posted at 10:30am
Eugenia LOGIURATTO Agence France-Presse
Long hair, round glasses and a wide-brimmed leopard-print hat — this Brazilian-born scientist caused a stir at this week’s Web Summit conference in Rio de Janeiro when she introduced Grace, a robotic nurse developing to care for the elderly in retirement homes became .
It is to him that we owe the name “General Artificial Intelligence” (AIG), this significant technology endowed with human cognitive abilities that could be developed “within a few years”. He is the origin of the SingularityNET platform dedicated to the decentralized and democratic development of AI.
QUESTION: What is missing for the development of an artificial intelligence system with human cognitive abilities?
ANSWER: “If we want machines that are really as intelligent as humans and are able to react quickly to the unexpected, they would have to be able to do a lot more than they programmed. And we’re not there yet. But there’s reason to believe it could happen, not in decades but in years.”
Q: What do you think of the ChatGPT debate? Should we take a six-month break in research, as some are asking?
A: “I don’t think you need to take a break because it’s not dangerous artificial intelligence. […] It cannot, like scientists, make complex reasoning in several stages or invent new things in addition to the data received. It cannot develop strategies to deal with new situations, such as a pandemic.
Some people say research should be stopped because this type of system contributes to misinformation. But should the internet then be banned? […] I think we need to live in a free society and just like the internet shouldn’t be banned, it shouldn’t be banned either (ChatGPT).”
Q: Should the possibility of AI replacing jobs be considered a threat?
A: “With the impending introduction of new systems like ChatGPT, I think 80% of the jobs done by humans could become obsolete. But I don’t see that as a threat, I see it as an advantage. That is a good thing. People will find better things to do than work for a living. Almost all administrative tasks can be automated.”
“The problem will be the transition period, during which artificial intelligence will begin to make job after job obsolete […] I don’t know how we will solve the social problems caused.
Q: What contribution can robots make to society today and in the future with AGI?
A: “You can do a lot of good things like Grace the robot nurse. In the United States, many older people in nursing homes feel lonely. Even if they are fed, medically cared for and watched TV, it is not enough in terms of social and emotional support. When we introduce humanoid robots into these spaces to answer their questions, listen to their stories, help them call their kids or shop online, it improves their lives.”
“In this case, we are not cutting jobs because there are not enough applicants for the nurse or nursing assistant positions. Education could also be an incredible market for humanoid robots, as could housework.”
Q: How do we regulate AI to positively impact people’s lives?
A: “Governance should be participatory, involving people in some way. And it is technically possible. The problem is that the companies that fund most of the AI research don’t care about the common good. What they want is to make as much money as possible for their shareholders.”
Interview by Eugenia Logiuratto