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Articles by Ariel Conn
Why You Should Fear 'Slaughterbots'—A Response
Clerk Note: One way in which death will come to us. Be sure to follow the “more” link to read what the makers of the video say. Why You Should Fear ‘Slaughterbots’—A Response Lethal autonomous weapons are not science fiction; they are a real threat to human security that we must stop now Source: Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world.
Human “Control” Over Autonomous Weapons Systems
Determining America's Role in the World Artificial intelligence (AI) is already used in a range of military applications, from logistics to navigation to HR, but the most debated and the most legally and ethically contentious application is, of course, the use of AI in weapons systems. A primary source of concern, hope, and hype around autonomous and AI-enabled weapons systems (AWS) is the extent to which they can function outside of traditional human control.
AI F4: Facts, fiction, fears and fantasies
Curated by Shimona Mohan and Sameer Patil The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining our daily lives, reshaping industries, and even how we build societies. In recent years, it’s become undeniable that AI can not only boost our human abilities but also help us tackle some of the biggest challenges we face. The possibilities seem endless, with applications thriving across fields.
Can Autonomous Weapons Be Compatible With International Humanitarian Law?
This article is part of our Autonomous Weapons Challenges series. The real world is anything but binary. It is fuzzy and indistinct, with lots of options and potential outcomes, full of complexity and nuance. Our societies create laws and cultural norms to provide and maintain some semblance of order, but such structures are often open to interpretation, and they shift and evolve over time.
How Can We Make Sure Autonomous Weapons Are Used Responsibly?
International discussions about autonomous weapons systems (AWS) often focus on a fundamental question: Is it legal for a machine to make the decision to take a human life? But woven into this question is another fundamental issue: Can an automated weapons system be trusted to do what it’s expected to do?
What Does “Human Control” Over Autonomous Systems Mean?
Two Boeing 737 Max planes crashed in 2018 and 2019 due to sensor failures that led to autopilot malfunctions that two human pilots were unable to overcome. Also in 2018, an Uber autonomous vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, even though a person in the car was supposed to be overseeing the system. These examples highlight many of the issues that arise when considering what “human control” over an autonomous system really means.
How Can We Talk About Autonomous Weapons?
Lethal autonomous weapons systems can sound terrifying, but autonomy in weapons systems is far more nuanced and complicated than a simple debate between “good or bad” and “ethical or unethical.” In order to address the legal and ethical issues that an autonomous weapons system (AWS) can raise, it’s important to look at the many technical challenges that arise along the full spectrum of autonomy.
Preventing a global-scale famine
In the last two years, we’ve seen that a global shock like a pandemic can have many unexpected and cascading impacts. Moreover, the pandemic didn’t occur in a vacuum. In addition to dealing with the fallout from Covid-19, we’ve struggled to respond to unrelated disasters, such as wildfires, deadly heatwaves, droughts, massive floods, and fuel shortages, all of which demonstrate a worldwide need for better resilience and preparedness.
Artificial Intelligence Archive
September 15, 2020 Future of Life Institute · Andrew Critch on AI Research Considerations… https://futureoflife.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1165-b-square.jpg 1870 1871 Lucas Perry https://futureoflife.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FLI_logo-1.png Lucas Perry2020-09-15 19:03:072020-10-27 22:49:05Andrew Critch on AI Research Considerations for Human Existential Safety September 3, 2020 Future of Life Institute · Iason Gabriel on Foundational Philosophical…...
Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Lethal autonomous weapons systems – also called “slaughterbots” or “killer robots” – are weapon systems that use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify, select, and kill targets without human intervention. Whereas in the case of unmanned military drones the decision to take life is made remotely by a human operator, in the case of autonomous weapons the decision over who lives and who dies is made solely by algorithms.
Future of Life Institute
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will one day become the most powerful technology in human history, being either the best thing ever to happen to humanity, or the worst. Polls have shown that most AI researchers expect artificial general intelligence (AGI) within decades, able to perform all cognitive tasks at super-human level. This could enable dramatic acceleration of science and technology, curing diseases, eliminating poverty and helping life spread into our cosmos.
Not Cool Ep 21: Libby Jewett on ocean acidification
The increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is doing more than just warming the planet and threatening the lives of many terrestrial species. A large percentage of that carbon is actually reabsorbed by the oceans, causing a phenomenon known as ocean acidification — that is, our carbon emissions are literally changing the chemistry of ocean water and threatening ocean ecosystems worldwide.
Not Cool Ep 16: Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning, part 1
How can artificial intelligence, and specifically machine learning, be used to combat climate change? In an ambitious recent report, machine learning researchers provided a detailed overview of the ways that their work can be applied to both climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. The massive collaboration, titled “Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning,” involved 22 authors from 16 of the world’s top AI institutions.
Not Cool Ep 12: Kris Ebi on climate change, human health, and social stability
We know that climate change has serious implications for human health, including the spread of vector-borne disease and the global increase of malnutrition. What we don’t yet know is how expansive these health issues could become or how these problems will impact social stability. On episode 12 of Not Cool, Ariel is joined by Kris Ebi, professor at the University of Washington and founding director of its Center for Health and the Global Environment.
Not Cool Ep 5: Ken Caldeira on updating infrastructure and planning for an uncertain climate future
Planning for climate change is particularly difficult because we’re dealing with such big unknowns. How, exactly, will the climate change? Who will be affected and how? What new innovations are possible, and how might they help address or exacerbate the current problem? Etc. But we at least know that in order to minimize the negative effects of climate change, we need to make major structural changes — to our energy systems, to our infrastructure, to our power structures — and we need to start now.
Not Cool: A Climate Conversation
FLI is excited to announce the latest in our podcast line-up: Not Cool: A Climate Conversation! In this new series, hosted by Ariel Conn, we’ll hear directly from climate experts from around the world, as they answer every question we can think of about the climate crisis. You can listen to the short trailer above that highlights what we’ll be covering in the coming months, or read the transcript below.
FLI Podcast: Beyond the Arms Race Narrative: AI & China with Helen Toner & Elsa Kania
Discussions of Chinese artificial intelligence frequently center around the trope of a U.S.-China arms race. On this month’s FLI podcast, we’re moving beyond the arms race narrative and taking a closer look at the realities of AI in China and what they really mean for the United States.
The United Nations and the future of warfare
Illustration by Matt Field. Based in part on photos by gloucester2gaza and Julian Hertzog via Wikimedia Commons. CY BY-SA 2.0 / CC BY 4.0. Stylized. Lethal autonomous weapons. When I mention this phrase to most people who are unfamiliar with this type of weapon, their immediate response is almost always repulsion. This is usually followed by the question: Like drones?
FLI Podcast: Why Ban Lethal Autonomous Weapons?
Why are we so concerned about lethal autonomous weapons? Ariel spoke to four experts –– one physician, one lawyer, and two human rights specialists –– all of whom offered their most powerful arguments on why the world needs to ensure that algorithms are never allowed to make the decision to take a life. It was even recorded from the United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons, where a ban on lethal autonomous weapons was under discussion.
FLI Podcast: AI Breakthroughs and Challenges in 2018 with David Krueger and Roman Yampolskiy
Every January, we like to look back over the past 12 months at the progress that’s been made in the world of artificial intelligence. Welcome to our annual “AI breakthroughs” podcast, 2018 edition. Ariel was joined for this retrospective by researchers Roman Yampolskiy and David Krueger. Roman is an AI Safety researcher and professor at the University of Louisville. He also recently published the book, Artificial Intelligence Safety & Security.
FLI Podcast- Artificial Intelligence: American Attitudes and Trends with Baobao Zhang
Our phones, our cars, our televisions, our homes: they’re all getting smarter. Artificial intelligence is already inextricably woven into everyday life, and its impact will only grow in the coming years. But while this development inspires much discussion among members of the scientific community, public opinion on artificial intelligence has remained relatively unknown.
Podcast: Existential Hope in 2019 and Beyond
Humanity is at a turning point. For the first time in history, we have the technology to completely obliterate ourselves. But we’ve also created boundless possibilities for all life that could enable just about any brilliant future we can imagine. Humanity could erase itself with a nuclear war or a poorly designed AI, or we could colonize space and expand life throughout the universe: As a species, our future has never been more open-ended.
Preparing for the Biggest Change in Human History
Click here to see this page in other languages: Chinese Importance Principle: Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources. In the history of human progress, a few events have stood out as especially revolutionary: the intentional use of fire, the invention of agriculture, the industrial revolution, possibly the invention of computers and the Internet.
Podcast: Martin Rees on the Prospects for Humanity: AI, Biotech, Climate Change, Overpopulation, Cryogenics, and More
How can humanity survive the next century of climate change, a growing population, and emerging technological threats? Where do we stand now, and what steps can we take to cooperate and address our greatest existential risks? In this special podcast episode, Ariel speaks with Martin Rees about his new book, On the Future: Prospects for Humanity, which discusses humanity’s existential risks and the role that technology plays in determining our collective future.
Podcast: AI and Nuclear Weapons - Trust, Accidents, and New Risks with Paul Scharre and Mike Horowitz
In 1983, Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov prevented what could have been a devastating nuclear war by trusting his gut instinct that the algorithm in his early-warning system wrongly sensed incoming missiles. In this case, we praise Petrov for choosing human judgment over the automated system in front of him. But what will happen as the AI algorithms deployed in the nuclear sphere become much more advanced, accurate, and difficult to understand?
Podcast: The Art of Predicting with Anthony Aguirre and Andrew Critch
How well can we predict the future? In this podcast, Ariel speaks with Anthony Aguirre and Andrew Critch about the art of predicting the future, what constitutes a good prediction, and how we can better predict the advancement of artificial intelligence. They also touch on the difference between predicting a solar eclipse and predicting the weather, what it takes to make money on the stock market, and the bystander effect regarding existential risks.
Podcast: Six Experts Explain the Killer Robots Debate
Why are so many AI researchers so worried about lethal autonomous weapons? What makes autonomous weapons so much worse than any other weapons we have today? And why is it so hard for countries to come to a consensus about autonomous weapons? Not surprisingly, the short answer is: it’s complicated.
Podcast: What Are the Odds of Nuclear War? A Conversation With Seth Baum and Robert de Neufville
What are the odds of a nuclear war happening this century? And how close have we been to nuclear war in the past? Few academics focus on the probability of nuclear war, but many leading voices like former US Secretary of Defense, William Perry, argue that the threat of nuclear conflict is growing.
Why You Should Fear 'Slaughterbots'-A Response
This is a guest post. The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not represent positions of IEEE Spectrum or the IEEE. Paul Scharre’s recent article “Why You Shouldn’t Fear ‘Slaughterbots’” dismisses a video produced by the Future of Life Institute, with which we are affiliated, as a “piece of propaganda.” Scharre is an expert in military affairs and an important contributor to discussions on autonomous weapons. In this case, however, we respectfully disagree with his opinions.
Podcast: Life 3.0 - Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - Future of Life Institute
Elon Musk has called it a compelling guide to the challenges and choices in our quest for a great future of life on Earth and beyond, while Stephen Hawking and Ray Kurzweil have referred to it as an introduction and guide to the most important conversation of our time. “It” is Max Tegmark’s new book, Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Tegmark is a physicist and AI researcher at MIT, and he’s also the president of the Future of Life Institute.
Leaders of Top Robotics and AI Companies Call for Ban on Killer Robots - Future of Life Institute
Founders of AI/robotics companies, including Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, OpenAI) and Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman (Google’s DeepMind), call for autonomous weapons ban, as UN delays negotiations. Leaders from AI and robotics companies around the world have released an open letter calling on the United Nations to ban autonomous weapons, often referred to as killer robots.
GP-write and the Future of Biology - Future of Life Institute
Imagine going to the airport, but instead of walking through – or waiting in – long and tedious security lines, you could walk through a hallway that looks like a terrarium. No lines or waiting. Just a lush, indoor garden. But these plants aren’t something you can find in your neighbor’s yard – their genes have been redesigned to act as sensors, and the plants will change color if someone walks past with explosives.
Forget the Cold War – Experts say Nuclear Weapons Are a Bigger Risk Today - Future of Life Institute
Until recently, many Americans believed that nuclear weapons don’t represent the same threat as during the Cold War. However, recent events and aggressive posturing between nuclear nations —especially the U.S., Russia, and North Korea—has increased public awareness and concern. These fears were addressed at a recent MIT conference on nuclear weapons. “The possibility of a nuclear bomb going off is greater today than 20 years ago,” said Ernest Moniz, former Secretary of Energy and a keynote speaker.
John C. Havens Interview - Future of Life Institute
The following is an interview with John C. Havens about the Beneficial AI 2017 conference and The Asilomar Principles that it produced. Havens is the Executive Director of The IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems.
Hawking, Higgs and Over 3,000 Other Scientists Support UN Nuclear Ban Negotiations - Future of Life Institute
Delegates from most UN member states are gathering in New York to negotiate a nuclear weapons ban, where they will also receive a letter of support that has been signed by thousands of scientists from around over 80 countries – including 28 Nobel Laureates and a former US Secretary of Defense. “Scientists bear a special responsibility for nuclear weapons, since it was scientists who invented them and discovered that their effects are even more horrific than first thought”, the letter explains.
Artificial Intelligence and Income Inequality - Future of Life Institute
Income inequality is a well recognized problem. The gap between the rich and poor has grown over the last few decades, but it became increasingly pronounced after the 2008 financial crisis. While economists debate the extent to which technology plays a role in global inequality, most agree that tech advances have exacerbated the problem. AI expert Yoshua Bengio suggests that equality and ensuring a shared benefit from AI could be pivotal in the development of safe artificial intelligence.
How Do We Align Artificial Intelligence with Human Values? - Future of Life Institute
A major change is coming, over unknown timescales but across every segment of society, and the people playing a part in that transition have a huge responsibility and opportunity to shape it for the best. What will trigger this change? Artificial intelligence. Recently, some of the top minds in AI and related fields got together to discuss how we can ensure AI remains beneficial throughout this transition, and the result was the Asilomar AI Principles document.
Podcast: Top AI Breakthroughs, with Ian Goodfellow and Richard Mallah - Future of Life Institute
2016 saw some significant AI developments. To talk about the AI progress of the last year, we turned to Richard Mallah and Ian Goodfellow. Richard is the director of AI projects at FLI, he’s the Senior Advisor to multiple AI companies, and he created the highest-rated enterprise text analytics platform. Ian is a research scientist at OpenAI, he’s the lead author of a deep learning textbook, and he’s the inventor of Generative Adversarial Networks.
Why 2016 Was Actually a Year of Hope - Future of Life Institute
Just about everyone found something to dislike about 2016, from wars to politics and celebrity deaths. But hidden within this year’s news feeds were some really exciting news stories. And some of them can even give us hope for the future. Though concerns about the future of AI still loom, 2016 was a great reminder that, when harnessed for good, AI can help humanity thrive. Some of the most promising and hopefully more immediate breakthroughs and announcements were related to health.
Autonomous Weapons: an Interview With the Experts - Future of Life Institute
FLI’s Ariel Conn recently spoke with Heather Roff and Peter Asaro about autonomous weapons. Roff, a research scientist at The Global Security Initiative at Arizona State University and a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, recently compiled an international database of weapons systems that exhibit some level of autonomous capabilities. Asaro is a philosopher of science, technology, and media at The New School in New York City.
Insight From the Dalai Lama Applied to AI Ethics - Future of Life Institute
One of the primary objectives — if not the primary objective — of artificial intelligence is to improve life for all people. But an equally powerful motivator to create AI is to improve profits. These two goals can occasionally be at odds with each other. Currently, with AI becoming smarter and automation becoming more efficient, many in AI and government are worried about mass unemployment. But the results of mass unemployment may be even worse than most people suspect.
Former Defense Secretary William Perry Launches MOOC on Nuclear Risks - Future of Life Institute
“Today, the danger of some sort of a nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War and most people are blissfully unaware of this danger.” – William J. Perry, 2015 The following description of Dr. Perry’s new MOOC is courtesy of the William J. Perry Project. Nuclear weapons, far from being historical curiosities, are existential dangers today. But what can you do about this? The first step is to educate yourself on the subject.
The Biggest Companies in AI Partner to Keep AI Safe - Future of Life Institute
Industry leaders in the world of artificial intelligence just announced the Partnership on AI. This exciting new partnership was “established to study and formulate best practices on AI technologies, to advance the public’s understanding of AI, and to serve as an open platform for discussion and engagement about AI and its influences on people and society.” The partnership is currently co-chaired by Mustafa Suleyman with DeepMind and Eric Horvitz with Microsoft.
Training Artificial Intelligence to Compromise - Future of Life Institute
Imagine you’re sitting in a self-driving car that’s about to make a left turn into on-coming traffic. One small system in the car will be responsible for making the vehicle turn, one system might speed it up or hit the brakes, other systems will have sensors that detect obstacles, and yet another system may be in communication with other vehicles on the road. Each system has its own goals — starting or stopping, turning or traveling straight, recognizing potential problems, etc.
Podcast: What Is Our Current Nuclear Risk? - Future of Life Institute
In this podcast interview, Lucas and Ariel discuss the concepts of nuclear deterrence, hair trigger alert, the potential consequences of nuclear war, and how individuals can do their part to lower the risks of nuclear catastrophe.
Congress Subpoenas Climate Scientists in Effort to Hamper ExxonMobil Fraud Investigation - FLI - Future of Life Institute
ExxonMobil executives may have intentionally misled the public about climate change – for decades. And the House Science Committee just hampered legal efforts to learn more about ExxonMobil’s actions by subpoenaing the nonprofit scientists who sought to find out what the fossil fuel giant knew and when. For 40 years, tobacco companies intentionally misled consumers to believe that smoking wasn’t harmful.
The White House Considers the Future of AI
Artificial intelligence may be on the verge of changing the world forever. In many ways, just the automation and computer-science precursors to AI have already fundamentally changed how we interact, how we do our jobs, how we enjoy our free time, and even how we fight our wars. In the near future, we can expect self-driving cars, automated medical diagnoses, and AI programs predicting who will commit a crime.
When AI Journalism Goes Bad - Future of Life Institute
Slate is currently running a feature called “Future Tense,” which claims to be the “citizens guide to the future.” Two of their recent articles, however, are full of inaccuracies about AI safety and the researchers studying it. While this is disappointing, it also represents a good opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about why AI safety research is necessary.
Are Humans Dethroned in Go? AI Experts Weigh In
Today DeepMind announced a major AI breakthrough: They’ve developed software that can defeat a professional human player at the game of Go. This is a feat that has long eluded computers. Francesca Rossi, a top AI scientist with IBM, told FLI, “AI researchers were waiting for computers to master Go, but we did not expect this to happen so soon.
Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence
From SIRI to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly. While science fiction often portrays AI as robots with human-like characteristics, AI can encompass anything from Google's search algorithms to IBM's Watson to autonomous weapons.
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