Providence, RI [Brown University] – The emergence of large-scale language models and generative AIs involves some fear. Will it take away your creativity? Does it eliminate work? Will it take over the planet? Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a professor of computer science at Brown University, believes that many of these fears are exaggerated.
In a brief video interview, Venkatasubramanian, who directs the Center for Technical Responsibility, Reimagining and Redesign at Brown's Data Science Institute, says that AI is, unlike computers, another technology that helps to expand human capabilities. Ultimately, how AI is developed and used leads to humans.
“It's not alive. It's not consciousness. It's us,” he said.
As to whether it does people's work, Venkatasubramanian says generative AI is not there yet.
“If you think the job you're doing is a job that can be replaced by a system that gives us the b-minus/c-plus answer, then it's probably a job that can be replaced,” he said. “But if you're doing the work you need, if you need some creativity, thinking, experience and knowledge, then you wouldn't expect the systems that exist today to be able to replace you with any form, form or form.”
