Elon's Letter to AI Labs
Week of March 27, 2023
Summary
The Facts:
In an open letter, Elon Musk and a host of other individuals, including Steve Wozniak and AI experts from across the world, have called for “all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” (At the time of this writing, the letter has been live for less than a day and has received over 1,000 signatures.)
Musk and team are calling for this halt to give society time to agree on governance and safety protocols for all large AI systems stating, “powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks manageable.” This statement piggybacks off the statement from OpenAI about artificial general intelligence wherein they stated that in the future it might be important to get independent review before training future systems.
The letter cites job loss, the potential for AI to outnumber and outsmart humans, and loss of control of civilization as risks to continuing to develop AI at this current pace, and states that “unelected tech leaders” shouldn’t be the in charge of making important decisions related to AI.
Opinion:
Friends, I understand why this letter has been drafted. AI is scary for a lot of people, and the release of ChatGPT to the world sparked a heated and fast-paced AI race between companies and governments, large and small, the world over. This technology can be dangerous if it’s unregulated, and we do need regulations and built in guardrails. As a gentle reminder, AI ethicists and responsible AI thought leaders have been saying this for years. Representative Ted Lieu wrote an op-ed about this.
Pure motives?
As with anything, though, context is critical. Wasn’t it just last week that Mr. Musk was stating that he was going to create his own large language model that wasn’t “woke” like the OpenAI model? He clearly stated his opinion that AI with restrictions is more dangerous than AI without restrictions. AI experts were abuzz with this statement, because it’s well known that unhindered, unchecked AI systems can not only spew hatred and vitriol, but learn it from the humans they’re interacting with. Systems built with bias can be used to make decisions that impact people’s futures. The danger of unrestricted AI has been evident for a long time.
For me, this letter makes some good points but I have to wonder: is Elon asking the world to pause so that he has time to create his based (entirely unrestricted) model? Furthermore, is Elon asking the world to pause so that elected officials can be the ones solely creating the guardrails related to AI? In the letter it clearly states that “such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders” indicating that elected non-tech leaders are the ones who should make the decisions. This letter does not call for partnership between tech leaders and elected officials - it creates a false binary and indicates to the reader that one is better than the other, when both can work together harmoniously to create safe regulation for AI.
Suspicious timing?
The timing is suspicious, given the TikTok hearings. It seems opportunistic to appeal to elected officials, most of whom are not tech savvy (let us all remember Senator Blumenthal) at a time when they are hosting hearings to decide the fate of TikTok in America.
If, in fact, Elon, et al, wants to have elected officials be entirely and solely (read: without the help or insight of tech leaders) responsible for creating these guardrails, I have to ask - why? Tech leaders across the world have made huge strides in creating responsible AI frameworks that act as a stand-in while we wait for the political world to catch up to technology. Companies like Credo AI are creating technology to help companies monitor their AI systems and ensure they are responsible and compliant. But the signatories of this letter seem to feel that those same tech leaders are a threat. My guess is that Elon is hoping for regulation that bends AI in his favor - regulation that makes it easier for him to create AI with less restrictions. And this 6 month moratorium? I can’t help but feel that it’s an attempt to limit other innovators so that he can create his unrestricted AI.
I’m here for regulation. I think that, done well, regulation for AI can balance protecting people and rights with continued innovation. But Elon has never shown this level of concern for regulating AI. Why now?
Kheiron Medical Technologies is using AI to fight cancer - and you may have seen the article about them on the front page of the New York Times. The company seeks to leverage AI to solve a major problem in cancer detection - lack of resources. On their website they state that detecting and tracking cancer accurately is incredibly time consuming and it’s complicated by a global radiologist shortage. It’s also complicated because clinicians can’t always get the right info when they need it. Kheiron believes that AI can help and if they’re right, it can impact patient outcomes. Kheiron isn’t currently hiring, but keep an eye out. I have a feeling they’ll continue to grow in the future.
Oversight:
AI & Jobs:
Opinion:
Book recommendation:
I regularly get asked how people can get into responsible AI, so here are some resources! I’ll keep adding to this list as I come across more information.
Responsible AI Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to helping organizations on their responsible AI journey. They provide awesome ways for their members to get connected through their Slack channel, get resources through their newsletter, and get invited to community events. Plus they’re a leader in responsible AI, so they’re a company to watch.
The Center for AI and Digital Policy offers policy clinics, and they look amazing. If you’re interested in AI policy, this might be for you! I’m hoping to apply for the Fall 2023 session.
Subscribe to my Substack if you want to receive this weekly update.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Do you need help on your responsible AI journey? Email me thepaigelord@gmail.com
Follow on TikTok, where I chat about responsible AI.