Celebrities call for broader research into artificial intelligence

Dozens of prominent scientists and entrepreneurs are calling for broader research into artificial intelligence. They believe that science should look at various fields of research ‘in good time’ before something goes wrong.

Renowned scientist Stephen Hawking and entrepreneur Elon Musk have recently signed the open letter. They are part of the so-called Future of Life Institute, a research body for artificial intelligence.

The scientists and entrepreneurs believe that society should not fall into the ‘pitfalls’ of artificial intelligence in the future. By this they mean that people should not lose control over smart systems, but should ‘let them do what we want’. In this way, optimal advantage can be taken of artificial intelligence.

It is not surprising that the public figures place the call. For years, research into artificial intelligence has focused mainly on the functioning of intelligent systems – agents – in certain environments, both virtual and physical. Now that ‘smart’ devices such as robot vacuum cleaners and autonomous cars exist and can perceive their environment to a certain extent, the research should be broadened as far as the Future of Life Institute is concerned.

Those signing the open letter believe that future research should also focus ‘timely’ on the social facets of artificial intelligence. This emphatically concerns interdisciplinary research, in which, for example, regulations, the economy and the underlying philosophy must also be taken into account. This is already happening: scientists are already looking at protocols for the safe use of robots in healthcare.

In their open letter, the participants included a link to a document that addresses some research questions. This concerns, for example, how the regulations for autonomous weapons should be structured, as well as how the chance of causing damage can be limited.