Stephen Hawking He was one of the brilliant minds of the 20th and 21st century. Although his contributions focused on the theoretical physics and the cosmologythe late British scientist also reflected on the impact of technology on society, and among his analyzes it is possible to find conflicting opinions on the Artificial Intelligence (AI)located long before the current “boom”.
Part of the work of the renowned physicist was focused on the preservation of humanity on Earth and, in this sense, he made several predictions related to what could extinguish the human being as species. To do this, Hawking based his scientific analysis on the behavior of society and technological advances.
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From the beginning, the British scientist warned that efforts to create technologies of an advanced level would represent a menace to society. “The development of a complete artificial intelligence could translate into the end of the human race”, he warned in an interview with the BBC in 2014.
In addition, Hawking argued that machines could eventually take over to “redesign themselves at an ever-increasing rate and even reach a higher than human level”. “Humans, who are beings limited by their slow biological evolution, will not be able to compete with machines, and will be surpassed”, concluded the researcher.
The risks of AI according to Stephen Hawking: “our worst mistake would be to dismiss the notion of highly intelligent machines”
Stephen Hawking focused on different perspectives by which the Artificial intelligence It represented a risk to humanity. One of them is the problem of overcoming o to competence What will machines have with humans?
In his book “Short answers to the big questions”, published in 2018, Hawking emphasizes this and maintains that “it is tempting to dismiss the notion of highly intelligent machines as mere science fiction, but this would be wrong, and potentially our worst mistake”.
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In turn, the world-famous physicist was also concerned about the impact that technology would have on the work force. In a column for The Guardian, he warned that AI would shrink jobs for the middle class through increasing automation and worsen inequality.
“Factory automation has already decimated jobs in traditional manufacturing, and the rise of artificial intelligence is likely to extend this job destruction deep in the middle classesonly the care, creative or supervisory roles will remain”, he explains in the text.
The scientist claimed that AI would bring efficiency to industrybut in turn, ordinary people would be affected by the unemployment and the uncertainty. A position that currently, with the rise of AI as ChatGPTis becoming more and more important.
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Other possible malicious uses of Artificial Intelligence that Hawking warned about is the use for advanced and autonomous weaponryfor new ways of oppression or for economic distortions of the financial market which is digitally managed.
To avoid these negative scenarios, Hawking encouraged ethical and legal regulation of AIs. He also sought greater collaboration between scientists and governments to ensure the common good, since he believed that they were not yet caring enough to keep the uncontrolled advance of technology in order.
The benefits of Artificial Intelligence according to Stephen Hawking: “it could be the greatest event of our civilization”
Hawking’s view on AI was ambivalent, while highlighting all the potential dangers humanity could face, he also recognized the potential benefits that it could bring to humanity if it was used responsibly. Like the eradication of war, disease and poverty.
“The potential benefits of creating intelligence are enormous,” said the scientist during the founding of the Institute for the Future of Intelligence, in 2016. In relation to this, he added: “We cannot predict what we could achieve when our own minds are amplified by AI”.
“Perhaps with the tools of this new technological revolution we can undo the damage caused to nature by industrialization, and surely we will aim to finally eradicate disease and povertyHawking continued.
In the end, the scientist spoke about the impact it could have on people: “Every aspect of our lives will be transformed. In short, success in creating Artificial Intelligence could be the greatest event in the history of our civilization”.
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At the same time, Hawking also personally benefited from AI. Thanks to software developed by Intel, the physicist can communicate using a voice synthesizer that suits your needs. This is because at the age of 21 he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)a disease that left him almost completely paralyzed.
That is why the scientist also considered that these types of applications were a positive example of how technological advances and AI could improve the quality of life of people, especially those with disabilities.
Throughout his scientific career, Hawking always maintained a critical view of AI, while highlighting its benefits. In his words: “Artificial intelligence It can be the best or the worst thing that happens to the human race. We have to be aware of the dangers, identify them, employ the best possible practices and prepare for their consequences in advance.”
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