AI may take over the world: Yuval Harari
- By Guo Yiming
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 25, 2016
"We (human beings) began as animals, gradually transformed ourselves into the gods of the planet earth, and very soon we may pass this mastery to a complete different lifeform, artificial intelligence (AI) and even disappear completely," said Yuval Harari, author of an international bestseller, in Beijing on April 23.
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| Yuval Harari speaks at the "Daji," China's TED-like talk show, initiated by the CITIC Publishing Group on this year's World Reading Day on April 23. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] |
Dr. Harari, an Israeli professor of history and author of "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind," made the remarks during the "Daji," China's TED-like talk show, initiated by the CITIC Publishing Group during this year's World Reading Day.
The Israeli historian began this argument while citing the historic five-game match between World Go Champion Lee Sedol and AlphaGo, Google's computer program, which brought worldwide attention to the power of artificial intelligence. He forecasted that we may witness AI's emergence and domination in the decades to come.
"It (AlphaGo) has no conscious or feelings; when it played, it did not feel anxious and while it won, it did not feel joy," said Dr. Harari who is frightened by a situation in which intelligence and consciousness may separate with AI conquering the world.
He cited driving as an example, saying that as companies like Google and Tesla all developing AI that can outperform humans in operating vehicles, people may finally free themselves from these actions as the computer programs drive more efficiently, safely and cheaply in a highly-connected system of artificial intelligence that renders accidents and traffic jams a thing of the past.
"People will lose their jobs, as drivers, teachers of drivers and traffic police," he suggested.
Other jobs like doctors may also be replaced by artificial intelligence with technical breakthroughs, Dr. Harari revealed in his speech while citing the example "Dr. Waston", IBM's computer program, which is set to not only diagnose diseases and recommend treatment, but also read our emotions and feelings by observing various movements in our face, or by following our heart beat, heart rate and blood pressure.
"So, even in the field of emotional intelligence, AI may also soon outperform human beings," Harari said, asserting that humans, capable of physical and cognitive skills, may be rendered useless in the face of these man-made programs.
While the industrial revolution of the 19th century created a new massive class called the "proletariat," or working class, the rise of AI in the 21st Century may again result in the creation of an un-working class as computers excel in both physical and mental capabilities.
During the talk show which featured four lectures by Dr. Harari, he also dwelled on topics including the cognitive revolution and big data.
Other speakers on the Daji inauguration talk show included Wang Xiaochuan, CEO of Sogou, Li Miao, professor at Zhongshan University, Annabelle Yu Long, CEO of Bertelsmann China Corporate Center, Tu Zipei, former vice president of Alibaba, and Chen Jiaying, the renowned philosopher.
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