The swift growth of artificial intelligence technology could put the future of humanity at risk, according to most Americans surveyed in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Wednesday of last week.
More than two-thirds of Americans are concerned about the negative effects of AI and 61% believe it could threaten civilization.
Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot became the fastest growing application of all time, the widespread integration of AI into everyday life has catapulted AI to the forefront of public discourse. ChatGPT has kicked off an AI arms race, with tech heavyweights like Microsoft and Google vying to outdo each other’s AI accomplishments.
Lawmakers and AI companies are also concerned: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday of last week testified before U.S. Congress, voicing concerns about potential misuse of the technology and asking for regulation.
“There’s no way to put this genie in the bottle. Globally, this is exploding,” said Senator Cory Booker, one of many lawmakers with questions about how best to regulate AI during a Senate panel on the uses of AI.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that the number of Americans who foresee adverse outcomes from AI is triple the number of those who don’t.
REUTERS