Why does Elon Musk say that artificial intelligence can be more dangerous than nuclear war? What is the rationale behind his claim?
Anonymous
January 3, 2025
Elon Musk has watched too many science fiction movies like The Terminator and the Matrix, which depict AI as a technology that evolves to the point that it controls humanity.
Musk is free to express his opinion, even if his paranoia creates a sense of fear in the minds of people who do not have a good grasp of AI.
Note that Musk is the co-founder of OpenAI, whose “missions statement” opens as follows:
“OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI)—by which we mean highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work—benefits all of humanity. We will attempt to directly build safe and beneficial AGI, but will also consider our mission fulfilled if our work aids others to achieve this outcome….”
In other words, AGI is dangerous but we will make sure it benefits all of humanity. It’s a mission that seems born out of missionary seal that is typical for western countries.
Note also their definition of AGI: “highly [sic] autonomous systems that outperform humans at most [sic] economically valuable work.” How quaint. How very 20th century. How very capitalistic.
AGI is a marketing term that has nothing to do with the future of AI. Every AI/AGI system is domain-specific, designed for a specific task. An AI system developed to analyze x-rays can’t drive a car of play chess.
People who assume AGI is universal are typically Western. They think culture plays no role in AI. Even AGI in the broad sense of the word would still be domain-specific. An American AGI would be different from a Chinese AGI.
“Autonomous” is similarly a marketing buzz word that will soon go the way of the dinosaurs. All systems, whatever they do, will be not autonomous but INTEGRATED with other systems because everything relates to everything else.
Rather than roque AI systems taking over the world, Musk should be concerned about China becoming the world’s leading AI power. Not burdened by childish cyber fiction tales, the Chinese see AI for what is really is: a tool that will relieve us of most mental labor. China will set the standards for AI the way the US set the standards for ICT.
Rather than listen to Musk, listen to Sadhguru to understand the implications of AI.