There must be worldwide agreements on the use of AI. This is what the director of Google, Sundar Pichai, argues in an interview with Algemeen Dagblad. Such global agreements exist, for example, for combating climate change.
Pichai is generally optimistic about the future of technology in the AD interview, but is concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence. “As a society, we need to prepare ourselves at an early stage for the arrival of intelligent machines,” argues Pichai. The focus should be on minimizing the disadvantages. “Reap the benefits, minimize the disadvantages. Make global agreements, such as with the Paris climate agreement. Approach it ethically and responsibly. As Google, we put a lot of energy into that.”
This is not the first time that Google employees have spoken out about artificial intelligence in this way. Scientist Douglas Eck, who researches machine learning for Google, said last year that it is necessary to steer research in a certain direction. There are challenges that we have to face and I think we have a realization as scientists in the field of artificial intelligence that we have to build the right models, enable the right kinds of technology.” This is possible because a lot of research into artificial intelligence is done in public.
The Google director believes that developments in artificial intelligence are not going as fast as people think. “The most intelligent systems can’t read like a seven-to-nine-year-old elementary school student. If we get to that level in the next decade, that’s a major breakthrough.”
Pichai also responds in the interview to investigations by the European Commission into abuse of power by the tech giant. “With scale comes criticism and more scrutiny. Europe and the US have responsible institutions that have every right to put us under the magnifying glass. It’s up to us to do the right thing. Sometimes we do something wrong, tackle it and change things .”
Pichai during the interview. Photo: AD