Microsoft President and Vice Chairman Brad Smith, while talking to the media, said that people should curb artificial intelligence, because it can become a weapon.

The Vice Chairman of the mentioned company noted that every technology that has ever been invented, with a high degree of probability, can be used within the framework of an application scenario involving exploitation in the format of the concept of turning its functions into weapons.

Brad Smith talks about the need to take measures that guarantee the presence of artificial intelligence as a technology that is under development and capable of improvement, in the space of human control. According to him, it is important that there are specialists who can slow down the AI or turn it off altogether, regardless of who exactly intends to use machine intelligence to automate, for example, the process of functioning of critical infrastructure facilities, in which could be potentially involved the military, the government or other organizations.

Leaders of the technology industry around the world warned about the risks of AI after a chatbot based on generative artificial intelligence called ChatGPT demonstrated a sharp increase in popularity due to the ability to provide information material in responses to requests, formed and formulated on the basis of a thinking paradigm that largely copies the algorithms of the human brain in terms of processing data. Currently, generative machine intelligence is able to create texts, images, and program codes. The list of content that AI can create is likely to expand with the development of the technology itself.

Brad Smith says that artificial intelligence is a tool with which a person can think faster and reach more thorough conclusions, but, according to him, it is a mistake to believe that a digital cognitive system can deprive people of the need for intellection.

The CEO of OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, Sam Altman, together with the heads of the AI departments of Google DeepMind and Microsoft, said in May that machine intelligence has the potential of a destructive force, which from the point of view of influencing the life of humanity is a threat equal to nuclear war with its catastrophic consequences. In this regard, representatives of the advanced technology industry reported on the need to reduce the level of risk arising from the development and spread of artificial intelligence.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and several technology leaders have called on AI labs to abandon learning systems in order to surpass the capabilities of GPT-4, which is the latest OpenAI model for large languages. They also announced the need for a six-month pause in these developments.

Brad Smith says that as part of solving the problem of potential threats associated with the development and use of artificial intelligence, it is important not only to correct and meaningful behavior of companies but also the existence a legislative framework that guarantees compliance with safety standards in the technological environment is essential.

Against the background of the explosive growth of the popularity of artificial intelligence in the public space, fears have arisen that AI will deprive millions of people of work. Goldman Sachs in March published a report that contained information that generative machine intelligence could have an impact on 300 million jobs worldwide. Analysts noted that from 25% to 50% of the workload within the activities of representatives of industries in which advanced technology can be integrated can replace AI. The report also indicated that professions related to physical labor will face the consequences of the large-scale spread of artificial intelligence with a smaller share.

In the context of discussions about the impact of AI on the labor market, Brad Smith stated that machine intelligence is a tool that complements but does not replace human work. He noted that, for example, the ability to transform a Word document into a PowerPoint slide does not mean that a person should not double-check the information before the presentation.

Arvind Krishna, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, told reporters last week that artificial intelligence will primarily affect white-collar workers, but technology will help them, not replace them. He also noted that increasing the resources of the labor force, especially not related to people, contributes to an increase in GDP.

As we have reported earlier, Microsoft Says About Importance of GPU Supply for AI.