The debate surrounding artificial intelligence rages on. Recently, the CEO of Digital Science & Research Limited, Dr Daniel Hook, claimed that modern workers must embrace AI to thrive. His comments seemed to assuage worries that AI (artificial intelligence) could threaten jobs; now, however, the man considered to be its ‘godfather’ has taken drastic actions to speak out on the dangers of artificial intelligence.

In a statement to the New York Times, Geoffrey Hinton has announced that he is resigning from his high-ranking role at Google, stating that he regrets his work with the burgeoning technology. In the past, it seems like we have all been on the receiving end of a chafing chatbot we know isn’t human, ping-ponging us to different sectors of a site with no real clue what we’re after. Well, Hinton says the dangers of AI chatbots are, “quite scary”.

“Right now, AI chatbots are not more intelligent than us, as far as I can tell. But I think they soon may be.”
– Dr Geoffrey Hinton

Look to the future: the dangers of artificial intelligence

Dr Hinton was awarded the 2018 Turing Award, alongside his colleagues Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun, for their work on deep learning, and it’s no understatement to say that his pioneering work on neural networks charted the progression of AI systems now prevalent such as Google’s own Bard technology, and ChatGPT. Neural networks, we already know about in terms of human physiology, and in tech terms, they work in a similar fashion, enabling artificial intelligence systems to learn from experience. That’s an important distinction from how traditional computers operate.

The British government is keen to promote investment in AI in the UK – it thinks the burgeoning tech will eventually drive productivity across the economy. That’s a long-term plan, but what about right now?

We might angle towards a tech utopia, but Dr Hinton warns of “bad actors” in the tech space, who might use its functionality for “bad things” too. “Given the rate of progress,” he shares, “we expect things to get better quite fast. We need to worry about that.”

Right now, protocols are put in place to rein in artificial intelligence, but that could easily change; ChatGPT currently constricts its accessible data to September 2021, a clear line in the sand for users. It’s not supposed to solve today’s problems, but it can help generate answers to broader themes and topics. We have always pooled information to overcome our species’ greatest obstacles, but until now, it’s never been instantaneous.

A million mighty minds

The totality of mankind’s achievements is measured in an instant – this instant. Countless advancements is philosophy and science have been incremental, and have taken centuries, if not millennia, to solve. Hinton warns that multitudes of AI models share the same information, and this is where the dangers of artificial intelligence lie.

it’s as if you had 10,000 people and whenever one person learnt something, everybody automatically knew it. And that’s how these chatbots can know so much more than any one person.”

The exponential rate at which AI is developing has the potential to change everything going forwards. It may not be a Skynet future we’re barrelling towards, but Hinton and other leaders in the tech sector are conscious that we need to take a step back… to move forwards in a way that doesn’t threaten our way of life.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html | Additional information: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65452940

Which side of the fence do you fall on? Is real life replicating the scariest sci-fi? Let us know in the comments below!

Want to read what Dr Daniel Hook thinks of the oncoming AI revolution? Click: CEO: Modern Workers Must Embrace AI to Thrive

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Remember Issac Asimov’s three laws of robotics…? We’re witnessing AI (artificial intelligence)’s meteoric rise to prominence in real-time. Users of the technology have marvelled at its capabilities and potential, whilst many have justifiably been sceptical about the future of work when AI is integrated into every digital service available. As far as core members of the European Parliament are concerned, new AI regulations are needed.

Could it threaten our livelihoods?

In the past week, a committee of lawmakers in the European Parliament came together to approve the EU’s AI Act, a focus that takes a risk-based approach regarding the regulation of artificial intelligence, and how it threatens not just our digital experiences, but our entire lives.

The need for new AI regulations

The threat of autonomous technology has been a sci-fi staple for well over a century and the history of artificial intelligence has been well-documented. This first move, however, doesn’t seek to sidestep mankind’s imminent dystopian destruction; rather, the AI Act proposes an outline for developers of so-called foundational models.

It contains provisions to ensure ChatGPT, Google Bard and their digital kin don’t violate copyright law.

As reported by CNBC, a key committee of lawmakers has approved a first-of-its-kind regulation, making it closer to becoming law.

Currently, artificial intelligence and its integration is blooming at a rate faster than authorities can grasp; China has already devised a set of rules intended to cordon how companies develop generative AI. This set of new AI regulations takes a simple, risk-based approach, split between four levels: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk and minimal or no risk.

A number of key areas they wish to address include artificial intelligence systems using subliminal, manipulative or deceptive techniques to distort behaviour. Furthermore, key focuses include AI systems exploiting known vulnerabilities of individuals or specific groups and leveraging such information.

Biometric categorisation based on potentially sensitive attributes/characteristics and methods of social scoring (or evaluating trustworthiness) is covered in the AI Act, as is utilising artificial intelligence to predict criminal or administrative offences, and inferring human motions in law enforcement, border management, the workplace and education.

Keeping tech in check

Perhaps inevitably, these clauses confront controversies and pressing social topics already prevalent in our own society, condoning the use of artificial intelligence to emulate issues present in our society. If restrictions on artificial intelligence are passed, developers of foundation models will have to adhere to safety checks, data governance measures and risk mitigations before their new models are able to go public.

As the race for digital supremacy gets smarter, it’s inevitable that governing bodies will make strides to protect the citizens they serve, and it’s not just lip service. Some top tech collectives, such as the Computer and Communications Industry Association have pushed back, stating that the catch-all nature of the AI Act is too broad, and threatens instances of artificial intelligence we use every day – many of which pose no threat.

One thing’s for sure though: artificial intelligence is here to stay, and it’s clear that these foundational models aren’t the only ones learning and adapting. It’s game on for authorities around the world, who will have to continuously strive to keep up with lightning-fast AI advancements, in real-time.

Source: Europe takes aim at ChatGPT with what might soon be the West’s first A.I. law.

Worried about how AI might affect your industry? Have the European parliament missed any big problems off their list? Keep the conversation going in the comments.

Want more on how AI is changing the game? Click here to find out how it’s changing the way medical staff work: OpenAI Changes Healthcare For The Better.

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An AI assistant for doctors – is it just the tonic?

ChatGPT seems to be changing the world of work in real-time – modern workers are finding new ways to engage with their sectors across every industry. Yet whilst the AI software’s seemingly limitless capabilities promise to streamline everyday tasks with automated, wholly digital solutions to strategic thinking, Tonic App has now launched an assistant, Dr Tonic, that promises to streamline the practices of physicians, too. They’ve made an AI assistant for doctors, and it’s changing the way they work.

It’s a technology that saves time, but is it a technology that can save lives?

The stress of going to the doctors is universal, and not only does Tonic App’s advancement promise to support GPs and physicians with medical, administrative and personal tasks – it’s likely to have a direct effect on the patient’s experience.

Tech to save time; tech to save lives

As per Presswire‘s feature, Dr Tonic supports medical doctors go about their day-to-day tasks; it’s powered by ChatGPT ADI, the LLM (large language model) that’s trained by OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT.

Built into the Tonic App, it’s designed to make it easier for doctors to retrieve information, summarise medical records and key findings and intuitively write templates for patient referrals. Not only that, it will translate even the most confusing of health jargon for patients, and work as a personal assistant in the more traditional sense – it’s even got HR capabilities built in.

“We are excited to launch Dr Tonic because we believe this is the start of a new era for healthcare. AI finally enters the day-to-day operations of healthcare professionals, after years of promise”, says Daniela Seixas, the CEO of Tonic App, and a medical doctor herself.

“It is estimated that up to 40% of doctors’ time is desk work, particularly in primary care. We can now help medical doctors save real time, reduce stress, and focus on what matters the most: patients. AI is also set to help compensate the shortfall of healthcare workers in Europe.” – Dr Sexias

Already used by 119,000 physicians, the cheerful virtual assistant totalled an average of 414 words after its first 24 hours of availability. So far, the recorded top use cases have been medical knowledge retrieval, questions regarding medical studies, ‘utilitarian questions’, inquiries about the app itself and finally, queries about the reliability of the service.

So, why not just use ChatGPT…?

Despite the prevalence of ChatGPT, and the fact it was trained with a significant body of medical knowledge, it’s not yet ready for primetime when it comes to diagnosis and decision-making. Tonic App has amassed clinical content and previously acquired data to fuel the Dr Tonic; given that it has been created by doctors and medical workers (and attains to the highest standards of care), it can safely be used for clinical decision making. What’s more, further use by GPs and doctors will make it even more viable as a service!

Of course, the ethics of artificial intelligence making decisions is still being ironed out; in terms of data privacy and third party personal data, Dr Tonic falls short. Simply, it’s not allowed to know which patient its treating, and GDPR compliance must, thankfully be adhered to. That said, we do stand on a precipice – in the future, it’s likely this will all seem like second nature.

You might not be meeting a robot doctor any time, but expect an altogether streamlined experience thanks to the newest doc on the block, Dr Tonic.

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Find. out more about Dr Tonic at www.tonicapp.io. Whilst it’s not currently in use in the UK, medical workers across France, Italy, Spain and Portugal have already taken the plunge.

Source: First ChatGPT for doctors in Europe.

Want to read more on how AI is changing the face of healthcare technology? Click here! OpenAI Changes Healthcare For The Better.

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