Leaders in academia around the world have come together to pen an open letter urging artificial intelligence (AI) developers to study consciousness, as AI systems advance at an unprecedented pace, and ethically. , legal and political concerns arise.
The Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science (AMCS), a group of more than 150 international researchers dedicated to mathematical and computational approaches to consciousness, published the letter on Wednesday.
The letter serves as “a wake-up call to the tech sector, the scientific community and society at large” to accelerate research in the field of cognitive science.
The authors cite a recent letter from tech leaders calling for a halt to AI experiments, noting that we live in an exciting but uncertain time in the development of AI and brain-related technologies. He warned that AI is advancing at a pace that far exceeds our understanding of its capabilities and compatibility with human values.
The signatories argue that language models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard are built on the neural networks of animal brains, but in the near future, they will be expected to mimic aspects of higher-level brain architecture and function. will be made. The letter states that AI systems may soon exhibit human-like consciousness and emotions.
As a result, the signatories believe that AI will have capabilities that their developers can understand at the moment, which will change what AI can do, and how society can control, configure, and control such systems. What can be done to give and use.
The letter emphasized that as AI advances, it is important for societal institutions and governing bodies to understand whether AI systems can be conscious and the implications.
The open letter specifically explains that science needs to develop mathematical tools to measure and model consciousness, especially as it relates to AI.
“Research into consciousness is a key component in helping humanity understand AI and its implications. It is critical to managing the ethical and societal implications of AI and ensuring the safety of AI,” the letter concluded. .
The letter urges the tech sector, the scientific community and society as a whole to consciously accelerate research to ensure that AI development delivers positive outcomes for humanity.
