Debate took place in parliament,
Regulating AI, they threw.
However, lawmakers found that:
Their knowledge was imperfect,
As the algorithm dances and spins.
The beauty of this limerick is that it was written entirely by the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT, after I just asked it to write about Congress’ attempts to regulate AI. It took him less than 5 seconds for the program to spit out the configuration.
I kind of love how this piece captures the weakness of representative democracy as it tries to police and regulate the technology that dances, spins, and grows stronger all around us.
However, if you look at it from a slightly different perspective, it looks like it’s sticking out an artificial tongue at us to intimidate us.
Some say the world is at a crossroads as artificial intelligence is about to make a giant leap in its ability to be used for good, and especially for evil. Some say (using metaphors) that the train has already left, so the crossing will be empty.
Those like decision theorist Eliza Yudkowski believe that humanity’s only hope for survival is to stop everything, and the sooner the better. “Many researchers obsessed with these issues, myself included, believe that if we build a superhumanly intelligent AI under current conditions, the most likely outcome is that literally everyone on the planet will will die,” he wrote in Time magazine in March.
“I don’t mean ‘perhaps a distant coincidence,’ but I mean ‘it is an obvious event that will happen,'” he writes.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related issue, the state of Montana just passed a law banning platforms like Apple and Google from making the popular social media program TikTok available for download by state residents.
Politicians from both major parties have argued that TikTok’s Chinese ownership could pose a national security risk. It has also been pointed out that it is related to mental health problems among young people. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin) called it “digital fentanyl” in a recent episode of “Meet the Press.”
Both social media and artificial intelligence are said to be threats to health and freedom.
The truth is, humans are particularly bad at identifying technology crossroads. When the Wright Brothers perfected their flight, bringing with them everything from high-speed travel to fresh Alaskan salmon in Utah, few people noticed. When Russia launched its first artificial satellite, Sputnik, in 1957, U.S. military officials said the satellite could not be I mocked that it meant nothing. …”
Even in 2007, many overlooked the importance of the original iPhone. And less than a decade later, experts were predicting fully self-driving cars by 2020.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to what’s happening in the cyber world right now, or that we should reject calls for sensible government regulation.
Emphasize the word “wise.”
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that some Republicans in Congress are against regulating AI because a new bureaucratic regulatory body will be created to enforce unwritten rules that will stifle innovation. I pointed out that it is because it will be done. But it might be a good idea to set some rules, with technology capable of doing everything from fabricating compelling fake videos to creating deadly bioweapons.
The people behind technology believe this. OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati told Time that the technology could be hijacked by bad actors.
“This is a unique moment in which we have agency over how society is formed,” she said. “And it goes both ways. Technology shapes us, we shape it. There are a lot of problems that are hard to understand. How do you make sure it’s useful to humanity?”
Oh my God, sure. Freedom always requires a great deal of self-control and ethical behavior, and a great deal of patience for those who seek to take advantage of it.
John Milton, the 17th-century poet, author, and inspiration for the First Amendment to the Constitution, said, “We can do harm by permitting or forbidding misunderstanding the strength of truth. I am acting,” he said. “Let me wrestle with her and her lies. Who knew that in free and open encounters the truth would be put to the worst of it?”
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enact laws to punish the abuse of powerful technology or willful deception aimed at fraud.
Some experts believe Montana’s TikTok law will be ruled unconstitutional. And regulators who set rules for AI will need to treat free speech rights with caution.
But that doesn’t mean we have to involve more knowledgeable scientists than legislators with unsound knowledge, stay alert to this new technology with algorithms dancing and circling around us, denying any real risks to our existence. However, they are not exempt from setting these rules.
Finally, I asked if I think ChatGPT should be regulated.
“The need for regulation of ChatGPT and similar AI models should be carefully considered, taking into account the potential risks, social impact, and balance between innovation and ethical concerns,” the group said. .
Perhaps we should stick to writing lyrics.
