4 Apocalyptic Predictions About AI That Are Happening Right Now

As if the climate threat, growing inequality or large-scale armed conflict, and the ever-present threat of nuclear weapons were not enough to make us alarmed, on May 30, 2023, a group of researchers and senior leaders warned that artificial intelligence This is becoming a threat that could lead to our extinction.

“Reducing the risk of extinction due to artificial intelligence should be a global priority, along with other socio-global risks such as pandemics or nuclear war,” said the Center for Artificial Intelligence Security and more than 350 Undersignedamong which stands out Sam AltmanCEO of OpenAI – the company behind ChatGPT – and Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind.

Months later, as if the global context were an exaggeration, it emerged that many of the signatories were in fact not entirely convinced that ChatGPT be something of a prelude to Terminator. Some of them rather believe that artificial intelligence can take over and distort our already distorted reality.

Isabella Struckman and Sophie Kupiec, both academics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), interviewed 35 signatories of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Security’s notorious letter. These are some of his “apocalyptic prophecies” about artificial intelligence.

More and more misinformation

Have you heard about Epstein list? Well, there’s actually no such list. What does exist is a series of court documents – most of them witness statements – that mention countless names, but not a list of clients who were often pedophiles, as the Internet claims (whether Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile is another matter).

Well, the experts surveyed believe that current artificial intelligence systems may be the perfect vehicle for spreading disinformation. In fact, they are particularly concerned that these AI algorithms prioritize content that maximizes profits. And people want to read Epstein list.

More fraud and identity theft

Do you remember when deep fakes was that news? Well, AI scams are now a real threat that can reach you in the form of a phone call or WhatsApp audio with the voice of one of your loved ones in a dangerous situation. deep fake or an email to trick you.

Pornography with deep fakes

Another threat that has long ceased to be a prophecy. AI-generated pornography is on the rise, with double-digit growth and hundreds of thousands of videos. The victims are usually famous people, streamers and content creators, but they are ordinary people and almost always women. This happened to a group of 20 girls aged 11 to 17 years in the Spanish city of Almendralejo.

Dismissed workers

This is a common topic when talking about artificial intelligence, but not often when talking about software engineers. Companies like Google have begun to implement AI-based tools for code development.

Its use has become something of a competitor for industry workers. A survey of nearly 10,000 developers found that 66% believe it will be more difficult to find a job as a developer, and six out of 10 respondents believe AI will make hiring less likely.

You can read a summary of the results by Isabella Strukman and Sophie Kupiec here. His full study can be read here.