By Emily Bender and Timnit Gebru, timely and thoughful as ever:
Claims of incipient, dangerous superintelligence are not based in good scientific or engineering practice. Rather, they are narratives based in ideologies of transhumanism, eugenics, and wishful thinking about imagined future digital humans.
[…]
the illusion of speed and urgency promulgated by the tech companies is also a ploy to misdirect both policymakers and the public. Unfortunately, it sometimes works, such as with Senator Bernie Sanders’s well-meaning but ultimately misguided proposed legislation to prevent the development of “artificial superintelligence.”
Describing them as “superintelligence” or “rogue models” ascribes agency to products rather than to the companies building them. This framing markets these companies’ products as “superhuman” and, at the same time, helps the companies evade accountability for their actions.
What a breath of sanity.
Its not that superintelligence exists but that humans will sede their intelligence to what appears to be more intelligent. Thus we will just let the machines do their thing without thinking about the consequences.
Alternatively, tech companies have run out of things to monopolize besides human intelligence and creativity themselves, and can apparently offer a pale imitation.
When Sam Altman says he needs his product to think on his behalf when it comes to raising a child, is he lying or is he really that seduced by ChatGPT? I don’t think it really matters.
By
Timnit Gebru
Emily M. Bender
Well, that’s all I needed to know! Thanks for the share.
In a good way, I hope?
In a very good way!
They’re both on the fediverse at https://dair-community.social/ 🙂
Give 'em a follow if you’re so inclined.
