Yoshua Bengio, engineer who made modern AI, now wracked with guilt over what it has become

Yoshua Bengio, a renowned computer scientist and one of the key figures in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), has expressed concerns about the rapid progress and exaggerated hype surrounding AI.

In an interview with the BBC, Bengio admitted that he would have prioritized safety over usefulness if he had foreseen the speed of AI’s advancement.

AI’s fathers desolate about its current state
Feeling somewhat lost, Bengio emphasized the importance of continuing to move forward, engaging in discussions, and encouraging collective thinking. Recently, he co-signed an open letter with other industry leaders, raising alarms about the potential risks of AI

“You could say I feel lost,” Bengio told the outlet. “But you have to keep going and you have to engage, discuss, encourage others to think with you.” The Canadian computer scientist’s comments come after he signed a disquieting open letter from industry leaders that warns of the “risk of extinction” that AI poses.

Geoffrey Hinton, another prominent AI figure, also experienced a similar personal realization and recently resigned from his position at Google.

AI’s current development is being carried out by “Bad Actors”
Bengio’s current major concern revolves around the misuse of AI by “bad actors.”

“It might be military, it might be terrorists, it might be somebody very angry, psychotic,” Bengio told the BBC. “And so if it’s easy to program these AI systems to ask them to do something very bad, this could be very dangerous.”

He highlighted the potential danger if AI systems could be easily programmed to carry out harmful actions, whether by military forces, terrorists, or individuals with malicious intent. Bengio suggested that governments should regulate companies developing AI similarly to how they oversee other sectors, such as aviation, automotive, or pharmaceuticals.

The need for ethical training
Bengio proposed the idea of providing ethical training and certification to individuals working on AI systems, emphasizing the need for computer scientists to receive such training as a standard practice.

While Bengio and Hinton express deep concerns about the existential threats posed by AI, the third “godfather” of AI, Yann LeCun, has not signed the recent risk statement and has been vocal in opposing a proposed moratorium on AI development. Their differing perspectives indicate ongoing debates within the field regarding the potential risks and how to address them.

Bengio, however, remains optimistic and believes that the challenges can be overcome with concerted efforts. Drawing a parallel to climate change, he suggests that even though past actions cannot be undone, it is never too late to make improvements and take action.