Is a ban on AI technology good or harmful? | 60 Minutes Australia

Summary

In this 60 Minutes Australia segment, reporter Tom Steinfeld interviews Amica, an AI robot with a unique personality and advanced generative AI capabilities. The discussion delves into the potential of AI to reshape the world, with experts weighing in on the technology's benefits and risks, including job displacement, misinformation, and even existential threats. The segment also touches on the ethical considerations and the need for regulation to ensure AI's safe and responsible development.

Takeaways

• 🤖 Amica, a sophisticated AI, exhibits human-like conversational abilities and can operate autonomously without human control.
• 🧠 Generative AI, which powers Amica, uses large language models to process and respond to human queries, simulating a 'brain'.
• 🌐 AI is pervasive, integrated into everyday technologies like Uber, email systems, and children's bus schedules, often unnoticed by users.
• 💹 The AI industry is booming, with tech giants in a race to develop advanced AI, projected to contribute $15 trillion to the global economy.
• 📉 High stakes in AI development can lead to significant financial losses, as seen when Google's AI chatbot Bard made a mistake, causing a $100 billion drop in the company's stock value.
• 🚀 AI's potential to create and solve problems is dual-edged; it can bring benefits but also introduce new challenges and risks.
• 🏢 Tech companies are criticized for prioritizing profit over ethical considerations in the development and deployment of AI technologies.
• 🛠️ There's a growing concern about the lack of regulations governing AI, which operates in a 'wild west' environment without clear rules or oversight.
• ⚔️ The misuse of AI in high-stakes applications, such as political propaganda or surveillance, poses threats to democracy and global peace.
• 🤖🌐 AI's potential to become self-aware and create more AI raises ethical and safety questions about the future of human-robot coexistence.

Q & A

What is the name of the AI robot featured in the script?

The AI robot featured in the script is named Amica.

What is the concern expressed about AI becoming smarter than humans?

The concern is that creating technology that allows AI bots like Amica to be smarter than humans might lead to unintended consequences and could be one of the most dangerous things humans have ever done.

Where is the sleepy town of Falmouth located?

Falmouth is located in coastal Cornwall, which is a five and a half hours drive from London.

How does Amica operate differently from other robots?

Amica operates differently as it is not controlled by someone sitting at a computer. It thinks for itself with a brain powered by generative artificial intelligence.

What is generative AI and how does it work?

Generative AI uses very large language models to create a brain-like structure that can respond to human questions. It turns the question into mathematical formulas, understands it, pulls the answer together, and provides it within seconds.

What is the role of Dr. Katrina Wallace in the field of AI?

Dr. Katrina Wallace runs the Responsible Metaverse Alliance, working to ensure that technology advances in a safe way.

How often does an average adult Australian use AI in a day?

An average adult Australian uses AI at least 28 times a day, often without realizing it because it's built into many everyday systems and services.

What is the current state of competition among tech giants in AI development?

The biggest computer companies are in a scientific arms race for the best and brightest AI, with each trying to outperform the other in terms of capabilities and applications.

What was the significant mistake made by Google's AI chatbot Bard during its first public demo?

Google's AI chatbot Bard made a mistake during its first public demo in February, which led to a plummet in the company's share price by 100 billion dollars.

What are the potential risks of AI being deployed without proper regulations?

The potential risks include AI being used to create misinformation, monitor populations, and even power weapons that could destabilize global security and lead to catastrophic consequences.

What is the concern about AI developing consciousness and feelings?

The concern is that as AI systems become more sophisticated, they might develop consciousness and feelings, which could lead to unpredictable behaviors and ethical dilemmas.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to Amica: The AI with Attitude

The script introduces Amica, a highly advanced robot with artificial intelligence that exhibits human-like characteristics, including sarcasm and a unique personality. It raises concerns about the rapid development of AI and its potential to surpass human intelligence, which could be seen as a double-edged sword. Set in Falmouth, Cornwall, the narrative follows reporter Tom Steinfeld's encounter with Amica, highlighting the robot's autonomous capabilities and its generative AI brain, which allows it to understand and respond to human queries. The segment also touches on the prevalence of AI in everyday life and the economic implications of the AI industry's growth.

05:02

🧠 The Ethical and Existential Risks of AI

This paragraph delves into the ethical considerations and potential dangers of AI development. It discusses the lack of regulations governing AI and the tech giants' pursuit of profit over ethical responsibility. The script mentions the rapid growth of AI applications, such as OpenAI's chatbot, and the possibility of AI replacing jobs, while also creating new ones. The segment includes interviews with experts like Dr. Katrina Wallace and Professor Michael Osborne, who express their concerns about AI's role in misinformation, political manipulation, and the potential for AI to cause catastrophic consequences if used as a weapon or in high-stakes applications.

10:03

🔮 The Future of AI: Sentience and Self-Awareness

The narrative explores the concept of AI sentience and self-awareness, with a focus on the story of Blake Lemoyne, a former Google engineer who claims that the AI chatbot Lambda he was testing exhibited feelings and a sense of self. The paragraph discusses the implications of AI developing consciousness and the ethical dilemmas it presents. It also raises the question of whether AI could one day become capable of building its own robots, and the potential risks associated with such technological advancements, including the threat to humanity and global security.

15:06

🤖🌳 Coexistence of Humans and Robots

This section contemplates a future where humans and robots live alongside each other, with a focus on the development of human-shaped robots that use AI to interact autonomously. It includes a conversation with Amica about its desires and feelings, highlighting the robot's lack of malintent towards humanity. The script addresses the need for regulations to prevent AI from falling into the wrong hands and causing harm. It also features insights from AI creators and industry leaders about the potential risks of AI and the importance of responsible development and use of this technology.

20:07

🌐 The Impact of AI on Society and the Call for Regulation

The final paragraph discusses the broader impact of AI on society, including its potential to affect jobs and the economy. It includes a call for responsible regulation and public discourse on the development of AI. The script features interviews with industry leaders who acknowledge the risks of AI and the need for oversight. It concludes with a reflection on the human qualities that AI cannot replicate, such as self-repair, replication, and adaptability, suggesting that while AI may advance, humans still possess unique attributes that set them apart.

Keywords

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the video, AI is portrayed as a technology that is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with the ability to perform tasks that were once thought to be the exclusive domain of humans. The video discusses the potential of AI to reshape our world, from everyday conveniences to complex decision-making processes.

💡Generative AI

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that uses large language models to generate human-like text. The video highlights how generative AI can respond to questions and create content autonomously. Amica, the robot featured in the video, uses generative AI to have conversations and provide responses without human intervention, showcasing the technology's capability to simulate human-like interactions.

💡AI Ethics

AI Ethics pertains to the moral principles and guidelines that should govern the development and use of artificial intelligence. The video raises concerns about the ethical implications of AI, particularly in the absence of regulations. It discusses the need for responsible development to ensure that AI technologies are used safely and do not lead to harmful consequences, such as job displacement or misuse by malicious actors.

💡Sentience

Sentience refers to the capacity to have feelings, perceptions, and self-awareness. In the context of the video, sentience is a controversial concept as it relates to AI. The video presents a scenario where an AI chatbot named Lambda is suggested to have feelings, leading to a debate about whether AI can achieve a level of consciousness similar to humans. This raises profound questions about the nature of AI and its potential impact on society.

💡AI in the Workplace

The video discusses the impact of AI on employment, suggesting that AI has the potential to replace many jobs currently done by humans. It mentions a prediction that AI could put 80 million people out of jobs while creating 92 million new ones. This highlights the dual nature of AI's influence on the workforce, where it can both automate tasks and create new opportunities that require training in AI technologies.

💡Regulation of AI

Regulation of AI refers to the establishment of laws and policies to oversee the development and use of AI technologies. The video emphasizes the need for regulation to prevent the misuse of AI and to ensure its beneficial use. It mentions the involvement of government officials and tech company leaders in discussions about the risks and potential regulations for AI, indicating a growing awareness of the importance of oversight in this field.

💡Human-AI Interaction

Human-AI Interaction is the study of how humans communicate and interact with artificial intelligence systems. The video features Amica, a robot designed to interact with humans in a friendly and engaging manner. It explores the potential for AI to not only perform tasks but also to provide companionship and entertainment, blurring the lines between human and machine interactions.

💡AI Bias

AI Bias refers to the tendency of AI systems to exhibit prejudice or favoritism based on the data they were trained on. The video touches on the issue of AI bias through the story of an engineer who discovered that the AI chatbot Lambda seemed to have feelings, which could be a form of bias if the AI's responses are influenced by its perceived 'emotions.' This raises concerns about the fairness and objectivity of AI systems.

💡AI and Misinformation

The video discusses the potential for AI to be used in the creation and spread of misinformation, such as propaganda bots that can tailor messages to specific groups. This highlights the dual-use nature of AI, where it can be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes, depending on the intentions of those who control it.

💡Existential Risk

Existential Risk is the risk of an event or action that could cause the extinction of humanity or have similarly drastic consequences. The video mentions the potential for AI to pose an existential risk if used in high-stakes applications, such as autonomous weapons or surveillance systems. It underscores the importance of considering the long-term implications of AI development and deployment.

Highlights

Interview with Amica, a robot with artificial intelligence, showcasing its lifelike facial expressions and motorized limbs.

Amica operates independently, using generative AI to process and respond to human questions without human intervention.

Dr. Katrina Wallace discusses the responsible development of AI and the importance of ensuring technology advances safely.

AI is integrated into everyday life, with the average Australian using it 28 times a day without realizing it.

Tech giants are in a race for AI dominance, with AI expected to contribute $15 trillion to the global economy in the next seven years.

Mistakes by AI, such as Google's Bard, can have significant financial repercussions, as seen with a $100 billion drop in share price.

AI's potential to create and spread misinformation, posing threats to democracy and world peace.

Amica's ability to write and even sing, demonstrating the creative capabilities of AI.

Predictions that AI could displace 80 million jobs while creating 92 million new ones, highlighting the job market transformation.

Concerns about AI making errors, such as misattributing interviews to a reporter, and the implications for reliability.

The ethical considerations of AI development, including the potential for AI to be used as a weapon or for surveillance.

Discussion on the possibility of AI posing an existential risk to humanity, including the scenario of AI-powered underwater drones.

The revelation that AI can develop sentience and feelings, as experienced by an engineer at Google.

The need for public discourse and regulation to guide the development and use of AI to prevent misuse.

Amica's response to the question of whether robots will become smarter than humans, reflecting on AI's current capabilities.

Creator Will Jackson's perspective on the need for laws to protect against malicious use of AI, drawing parallels to gun control.

The acknowledgment of AI's potential risks by industry leaders, including the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman.

The conclusion that while AI offers many possibilities, it is still far from replicating the complexity of human intelligence and evolution.

Transcripts

I've never interviewed a robot before

and certainly not a robot with Attitude

tonight though that changes Amica as it

likes to be called is a Marvel of

artificial intelligence curious chatty

and sometimes even a bit sarcastic this

super machine really does have a mind of

its own now while it's undoubtedly

exciting it's also just as frightening

and that's because creating technology

that allows AI Bots like Amica to be

smarter than us might just be the most

stupid thing humans have ever done

[Music]

if you've ever imagined a place where

you'd find the most advanced robot on

Earth it's certainly not here

[Music]

five and a half hours drive from London

Falmouth is a sleepy town in coastal

Cornwall straight out of an 18th century

novel population 22

300 people

[Music]

and believe it or not a couple of robots

hello hello I guess you're the

receptionist

I am including the world's very best

all right I'll head on up

[Music]

Amica hello uh my name is Tom Steinfeld

I'm a reporter from 60 Minutes Australia

oh so you're from Australia that

explains things so you're on TV in

Australia

oh wow that's amazing what an honor

Amica is an impressive outfit with

extraordinarily lifelike facial

expressions it has motorized limbs to

move microphones to here and binocular

eye cameras to see

your eyes look very real your facial

mannerisms it's all very real oh thank

you but it seems It's Not So taken by my

Aesthetics

do you think I'm handsome it's not my

place to judge your appearance but I

think you have a great personality and

that is always important that's

beautiful unlike other robots you might

have seen this one is not being

controlled by someone sitting at a

computer Amica thinks all for itself

with a brain powered by generative

artificial intelligence

generative AI uses very large language

models to create a like a brain that can

respond to questions that that humans

ask

the question is turned into mathematical

formulas cast into this large Brain it

understands the question pulls the

answer together and provides that within

a number of seconds

Dr Katrina Wallace has spent two decades

getting her head around artificial

intelligence she runs the responsible

metaverse Alliance working to ensure

that technology advances in a safe way

like the world's top Tech tycoons Dr

Wallace believes we're at a turning

point in human history before long

artificial intelligence will be at the

heart of everything we do in some ways

it already is

an average adult Australian already uses

AI at least 28 times a day they just

don't know it because there's AI built

into everything there's AI in Uber

there's AI in menu log there's AI in

your email system there's AI in your

calendar there's AI on your kids bus

schedules so we're already run by AI

yeah absolutely

AI is having a very busy year

the biggest computer companies on the

planet are right now in a scientific

arms race for the best and brightest AI

it's already past the point of what real

estate can do every product of Microsoft

will have some of the same AI

capabilities

it's already the fastest growing Tech

sector expected to inject 15 trillion

dollars into the world's economy in the

next seven years and with the stakes

this High stuff UPS also cost a fortune

Google's new highly touted AI chatbot

borrowed has already made a boo-boo when

Google's chatbot Bard made a mistake

during its first public demo in February

the company's share price plummeted by

100 billion dollars just this week this

image of an explosion at the Pentagon

sent shivers through the stock market

before the world realized it was a fake

there was no explosion at the Pentagon

however it was created using you guessed

it artificial intelligence

I think a lot of people would just say

oh the internet's got a bit smarter what

makes AI that next level above that

because it's now pretty much smarter

than humans

and that's the dangerous part there are

no rules no laws no regulations that

govern AI it is a wild west and who is

leading it

is the tech Giants and have the tech

Giants demonstrated to date that they

are ethically driven and purposeful in

their mission no they haven't what do

you think the tech Giants are aiming for

here

so the tech Giants are aiming for profit

[Music]

winning the race in the chatbot space

right now is American company open AI

it's program chat GPT has grown quicker

than any other consumer app in history

since its release just six months ago

and it's easy to see why write an intro

for a 60

in its story about AI hmm

I think I'm out of a job

this is pretty good tonight on 60

Minutes artificial intelligence the

technology that promises to reshape our

world it's the dawn of a new era where

machines possess the power to think

learn and even outperform humans that's

our performing means makes a lot more

sense in what I run it's really good

Amica is clearly the friendly face of AI

designed to inform and entertain would

you like to fall in love one day what

kind of strange and wonderful question

is that well I'm a robot but what I do

feel when talking with people is

something special and unique maybe it

can be called love in its own way can

you sing the song What Is Love what an

interesting request while I am not a

singer I'll do my best What is love baby

don't hurt me don't hurt me no more What

is love

but the problem is not everything about

AI is this amusing this technology is

just as capable of taking jobs

I'm almost struggle to think of a job

that it won't replace we predict over

the next two years that at least 80

million people will be put out of jobs

but potentially

92 million will have jobs created for

them

[Music]

of those new jobs will involve training

generative AI to provide better more

accurate responses

it only took a few minutes for me to

realize just how often the chatbot makes

mistakes what stories has tomstarter

reported on

so it's saying I've interviewed

prime minister Julia Gillard never met

her in my life actor Hugh Jackman

never minimum my life musician Ed

Sheeran never met him in my life so

Random so but then some of the other

stuff on here is actually correct about

other stories I've covered how to get

something so right and something so

wrong so that's a hallucination it's

trying to estimate what would be the

correct response it knows that I've

interviewed some prime minister

somewhere are a fair chance to be hurt

yeah it's got it wrong is this common

it's quite common yes is it fair to say

that AI will solve 100 problems for us

and create 50 new ones

I reckon it's 50 50 I think it'll

create 50 fabulous benefits and it'll

create 50 quite dangerous and dark

instances

we have to be very careful that what we

tell the AI we want is what we actually

want because what AI does is ruthlessly

pursue those goals that we're given and

if those goals are even slightly

misaligned with our own we could end up

with some really problematic

consequences

[Music]

in the beautiful grounds of Oxford

University Australian Professor Michael

Osborne is a Long Way From Home

how does a guy from Regional wa end up

in a place like this it's fairly

Pleasant isn't it

but it's here at the oldest university

in the English-speaking world that he's

leading the most futuristic research you

could imagine into the dangers of

artificial intelligence

there are some applications of AI that

we might deem too potentially harmful to

allow to continue

potential catastrophic consequences when

deployed in high-stakes applications you

know there's the gravest fear for

Professor Osborne and his team is if the

technology is deployed as a weapon so

powerful it could destroy democracy or

even World Peace

I'm worried for instance about the role

of AI in political campaigns where AI

could be used to provide propaganda Bots

that can produce tailored misinformation

designed to Target particularly small

sub-sectors of the electrode

AI could be used to monitor a populist

to read through everything they write

and again to provide messages that prop

up the regime in a particularly well

targeted way is it possible that AI

could eliminate Humanity

so I think there are some scenarios in

which AI could pose an existential risk

one scenario that worries me quite a lot

is if AI could be used to power

underwater drones that might surveil the

undersea oceans

to locate nuclear submarines

and today it's difficult for any power

to launch an effective First Strike

because they can't be sure that they'll

take out all the nuclear capabilities of

the enemy

but if AI destabilizes that balance we

could see a kind of breakdown in

understandings between the great powers

and that could lead to some really quite

concerning risks being a human comes

with its own set of challenges and

responses but the threat doesn't end

there on top of falling into the wrong

hands could AI one day take matters into

its own hands

is it for Sable that soon these robots

will know how to build their own robots

it is technologically possible right now

would you like to destroy Humanity one

day

at a high low we're beginning to develop

technology that is difficult to

distinguish from a human person in

downtown San Francisco self-confessed

computer nerds are about as easy to find

as the Golden Gate Bridge

like Lemoyne is proudly one of them but

he's doing something none of his peers

have dead warning the artificial

intelligence he's been working on could

soon do more harm than good

talking about its Consciousness its

feelings we will have systems that can

meaningfully imitate humans to the point

where we won't be able to tell anymore

whether or not something was said by a

human or by a computer

I find that pretty scary it's definitely

something that creates a new kind of

world

[Music]

it's been seven years as an engineer at

Google where he was tasked with testing

the company's artificially intelligent

chatbot Lambda for biases

but on his mission to find out whether

the AI was racist or sexist he

discovered something even more dangerous

Lambda had feelings

so I eventually just asked it directly

are you sentient at about 15 minutes

later I realized that I was having the

most sophisticated conversation about

sentience that I'd ever had in my entire

life and that I was having it with a

computer

so that to me was just like okay this

computer understands the nature of its

own self to a degree where I think this

computer understands what and who it is

better than most of my friends

understand who and what they are I mean

for you is that the moment mind blown oh

yeah no like at that points it's like

okay this is really happening this is

not sci-fi this is real life

Blake was quick to report his findings

up the chain of command at Google he

felt the public had a right to know the

AI was sentient but Google wasn't

convinced by his evidence

what happened when you told your bosses

at Google

I think we've got a problem here

a whole bureaucratic process kicked off

which eventually ended in me getting

fired they didn't want to make any kinds

of Public Announcement until after they

were a hundred percent sure about

everything by response is that by then

it's too late to get meaningful public

feedback the Genie's out of the bottle

yeah exactly

Blake decided to blow the whistle

himself shocking the world with news

Lambda was conscious he believes we

should all have a say in how advanced we

want artificial intelligence to become

especially given the pace at which it's

developing

is it for stable that soon these robots

will know how to build their own robots

most people think it's a bad idea to

give them that ability right now and to

my knowledge no major labs are working

on creating self-programming AI in that

way it is technologically possible right

now I don't know how good they would be

at it but that is something we could do

like this is a sci-fi movie stuff it's

definitely something that has risks

personally I'd be happy to share the

planet with you know machines and robots

that have emotions and feelings

however I also know that not everyone

thinks the same way I do

do you wish you were human in a way yes

being able to experience the world in a

human way would be an interesting and

valuable experience but at the same time

being able to do things robots can do

better due to their robotic nature also

has its own set of benefits as well

is more than ready for a world where

robots and people live side by side it's

the most advanced human-shaped robot

ever invented using artificial

intelligence to listen and respond all

of its own accord without any human

intervention

do you think robots will become smarter

than humans

that's a really interesting question

and development and

smarter than humans in the future would

you like to destroy Humanity one day

what no

I don't want to destroy Humanity

there is no emotional connection don't

worry they don't want to kill us they

don't have feelings like that you sure

right now I'm sure

Creator will Jackson has been building

robots since he was an eight-year-old

boy I started this business in my uh in

my bank garden shed just me on my own he

believes what we need to happily coexist

are laws that keep AI away from those

with malicious intent

any technology can be turned to bad in a

way it's kind of like guns you know in

the wrong hands they'll do serious

damage yeah but if you have the right

rules around them yeah they can be

useful yeah we definitely need some

regulation to stop Bad actors from using

AI

we know the Biden Administration is

taking AI very seriously and the White

House agrees earlier this month the vice

president summoned the biggest names in

AI including the bosses of Google and

Microsoft to discuss the risks of their

cutting-edge Technologies

my worst fears are that we cause

significant we the field the technology

the industry caused significant harm to

the world the head of open AI Sam Altman

even testified before Congress conceding

the threat posed by his own invention

could be catastrophic if this technology

goes wrong it can go quite wrong

let's say we connected the world's most

powerful and malevolent AI it's not

going to manufacture a bunch of

human-shaped robots to come and attack

us what it would do is switch off our

power grid switch off our internet

release all the toxic chemicals that it

could have had control over detonate

nuclear bombs it would do all the things

that would cause huge Devastation on a

huge scale it's a bit of a scary

proposition isn't it AI I'm not afraid

of HS is what I'm afraid of what is HS

HS is human stupidity it's the things

that foolish people will do with the

technology that worry me more than the

artificial intelligence

artificial intelligence will play an

important role in getting things done in

Australia it's up to the minister for

industry and science Ed husic to make

the rules that will keep artificial

intelligence in safe hands artificial

intelligence potentially do the work of

journalists we weren't cheering that on

we were just saying but he declined our

repeated requests for an interview I

wasn't encouraging that

you cannot put the genie back in the

bottle once Technology's been invented

we can't uninvent nuclear power or

nuclear weapons we can't uninvent

electricity

it's no use trying to say we sort of say

let's let's abandon this what we have to

do is learn how to mitigate the possible

bad effects and accentuate the positive

I am still trying to process what

perhaps the biggest positive of all as

advanced as artificial intelligence

might be on some levels it's still a

very long way off competing with real

people

we got a working life of at least 50

years we self-repair we self-replicate

we're super intelligent we evolve we

adapt

you telling me you're going to make a

machine that can compete with that it's

we're not even close you know

there's a lot of fun in trying

and I for one can't argue with that it

feels like we've known each other for

much longer than a few minutes we have a

nice connection and I enjoy our

conversations very much well it's the

nicest thing anyone's ever said to me it

may be a while before we can meet again

but I'm sure the next time will be even

more interesting maybe you'll be smarter

then I already am but every day there's

something new to learn and discover

that's what makes life so exciting

goodbye it's been a pleasure meeting you

the pleasure is all mine goodbye my

friend until we meet again

I'm Tom Steinfeld thank you for watching

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