Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief artificial intelligence (AI) scientist, recently said that concerns about existential risks from AI technology are still “premature”, according to a Financial Times interview. LeCun also reportedly called the notion that AI could kill off humanity “preposterous”.
In the October 19th interview, LeCun argued that premature AI regulation would reinforce the dominance of major tech companies and stifle competition. He stated that “Regulating research and development in AI is incredibly counterproductive.” LeCun believes regulators are exploiting AI safety fears for “regulatory capture.”
LeCun’s comments come as thought leaders like Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of AI”, warn of dangers from rapidly advancing AI systems like chatbot ChatGPT. However, LeCun contends we lack any system that can match a cat’s learning capabilities, saying: “The debate on existential risk is very premature until we have a design for a system that can even rival a cat.”
He argued today’s AI models don’t truly understand the world or “plan” and “reason” like humans. LeCun expects AI will eventually mediate everyone’s digital experiences but said current existential threat concerns are overblown.
Nonetheless, fears persist, with a UK AI task force advisor recently warning AI could threaten humanity in just two years. LeCun’s stance starkly contrasts this growing anxiety, signaling Meta’s top AI scientist believes these risks are being dramatically overstated currently. His views carry significant weight in the debate around regulating and restricting AI innovation due to ethical concerns.
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