Former Prime Minister Sajid Javid has said Britain’s next general election could become a “testing ground” for some of the “most damaging capabilities” of artificial intelligence (AI).
In an article in The Sunday Times, Mr Javid also said that the Election Commission, which regulates UK elections to preserve democratic integrity, was “apparently unprepared for AI”.
His warning comes amid growing concerns about how AI (machines performing functions normally associated with humans) will disrupt our way of life.
This week saw the most dramatic warning yet, with dozens of experts warning the technology could lead to human extinction.
The next UK general election is due next year, and Javid, who previously advised US AI company C3 AI, said: Manipulate and generate content that undermines trust and democracy, mimicking deep personal relationships to facilitate abuse.
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“As a former Home Secretary, I can also easily understand the capabilities AI brings to serious crimes and hostile state activities.
“I am particularly concerned that next year’s UK and US elections will be testing grounds for the most pernicious capabilities. has not been done.”
Yahoo News UK has reached out to the Electoral Commission for comment.
Last month, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the developer of the AI chatbot ChatGPT that became famous this year, told a US congressional hearing about the risks during a campaign, saying: asked. : the more general ability of these models to manipulate, persuade, and provide one-to-one interactive disinformation.
“Given the election next year, [in the US] These models have improved, but I think this is an important concern. ”
In the UK, Rishi Sunak spoke on the importance of ensuring adequate ‘guardrails’ are in place to protect against potential hazards, from disinformation and national security to ‘existence threats’. Told.
Sunak is also considering setting up a global AI watchdog in London, it was reported on Friday.
AI can perform life-saving tasks such as algorithms that analyze medical images such as x-rays, scans and ultrasounds, allowing doctors to more accurately and quickly identify and diagnose diseases such as cancer and heart disease. increase.
read more: Here are the jobs most likely to be lost to AI first
Meanwhile, the San Francisco-based AI Safety Center, which issued a statement on threats to humanity, warned that AI could be weaponized, for example by developing new chemical weapons or enhancing aerial combat. there is
The center lists other risks on its website, including the potential for AI to become dangerous when it doesn’t align with human values.
Humans could become dependent on machines as more and more critical tasks are delegated to machines, he said.
