The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) may amplify the potential for malicious actors to cause harm, but control will always be in the hands of humans themselves, said a celebrated UK computer scientist.
Leslie Valiant, winner of the Association for Computing Machinery's 2010 A.M. Turing Award after his work helped lay the foundation for machine learning.
He was also granted the 2024 Basic Science Lifetime Award in Theoretical Computer and Information Sciences at the International Congress of Basic Science held in mid-July in Beijing.
Speaking of the possible security threats brought by AI in an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Valiant stressed technology is only a tool that could empower human behavior, for good or ill.
"I think it's a new age where machines will get into every aspect of our life. Many of the issues [are] because what machines are doing are just what humans used to do. So in some sense, none of these questions are totally novel. So we've had to face the issue of fraud, for example, humans perpetrating fraud. Now they can get help from machines. So there are many serious issues, but none of the issues are totally new, just the new situation where machines can help amplify," said Valiant.
On technology as a threat to employment, the acclaimed scientist said AI's development will take away some job opportunities and create others, but human preference will still play a leading role in the allocation of labor.
"There's always been kind of churn in the labor market. So there are new jobs created by technology and new jobs taken away by technology. So what happens does depend a lot on human choice, which is about to happen. For example, in the education world, whether it will be all robots teaching or humans teaching, it's hard to predict because it depends on human preference. But what I expect is that in most professions, computers will help and humans will decide what needs to be done. They'll keep control of (the situation), they'll make the choices, but computers will help. I don't think it's all negative news from AI," he said.
AI's emergence presents old challenges in new form: Turing Award winner
AI's emergence presents old challenges in new form: Turing Award winner
AI's emergence presents old challenges in new form: Turing Award winner
