Artificial intelligence has in recent years become one of the world’s most powerful technologies; a tool that has transformed everything from writing and programming to research, content production, and performing many everyday tasks. However, the rapid spread of this technology has raised serious concerns about the future of jobs, misinformation, energy consumption, and even potential catastrophic risks.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, believes we should not expect AI to develop without any negative consequences. In an interview with Decoded by POLITICO he said the world must accept that as a result of developing this technology, “some bad things” will also happen.
Altman, in part of that conversation, emphasized that in his view there is plenty of room to accept realities related to AI and society must acknowledge that a powerful technology like AI can, alongside its benefits, also have negative consequences.
This view is put forward while concern about AI’s impact on the labor market is one of the most important debates surrounding the technology. For many writers, programmers, designers, and other creative professionals, the development of generative AI models means increased competition with tools that can perform some of their tasks much faster and at much lower cost.
However, the loss of some jobs may be a smaller consequence compared to other potential dangers of AI. According to the International AI Safety Report, researchers and experts have warned about a range of potential AI hazards; some of which, if realized, could have very widespread consequences for society.
What did Altman say about AI risks?
Continuing his remarks, Altman, referring to concerns about the concentration of AI power, rejected the idea that a laboratory in San Francisco could possess extremely powerful technology and at the same time guarantee that nothing bad would happen.
He also believes one should not conclude from this that AI will ultimately do more harm than good. From Altman’s perspective, if a relatively lighter-handed approach to AI regulation is adopted, people can use this technology for very useful and widespread purposes and overall the number of positive actions will exceed the negative ones.
The CEO of OpenAI has also expressed doubt about some of the most extreme scenarios raised about the future of AI. He does not consider the occurrence of “truly catastrophic risks,” including a severe loss of human control over AI systems, to be certain.
This position, of course, does not mean completely ignoring the risks. Even if AI can increase productivity, reduce the cost of doing many tasks, and make powerful tools accessible to more people, how those benefits are distributed will be very important.
In an ideal scenario, AI could take on a significant portion of hard, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks, resulting in people working fewer hours and productivity gains leading to lower costs. But achieving such a future depends on how the technology is used, policymaking, and the distribution of its benefits.
Altman’s view ultimately rests on one prediction: AI will likely deliver remarkable achievements and also create negative consequences. The main question is whether society can establish appropriate mechanisms to manage them before serious risks occur. The answer to that question will only become clear over time and with more experience of this technology.