Technology
Thursday, February 15th, 2024 4:12 pm EDT
Key Points
- High-profile figures from business and politics, including Richard Branson, Ban Ki-moon, and Charles Oppenheimer, have signed an open letter urging action on the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence and the climate crisis.
- The letter calls for a long-view strategy, urgent multilateral action, and the building of global governance to address issues such as the transition away from fossil fuels, pandemic response, nuclear arms talks, and responsible AI development.
- The initiative is backed by organizations like The Elders and the Future of Life Institute, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures in safety engineering to mitigate risks associated with transformative technologies like AI, nuclear weapons, and synthetic biology.
The open letter, signed by influential figures including Richard Branson, Ban Ki-moon, and Charles Oppenheimer, calls for global leaders to address the pressing existential threats posed by artificial intelligence and the climate crisis. Advocating for a long-term strategic approach grounded in scientific evidence and multilateral action, the signatories highlight the urgent need to combat the escalating risks associated with climate change, pandemics, nuclear weapons, and unchecked AI development. The message, released by The Elders, emphasizes the importance of financing transitions away from fossil fuels, establishing equitable pandemic treaties, restarting nuclear arms talks, and fostering global governance frameworks to ensure AI’s beneficial application. Supported by organizations like The Future of Life Institute, the letter underscores the potential consequences of rapid technological advancement in the wrong hands and calls for a proactive approach akin to safety engineering to mitigate risks associated with AI, nuclear weapons, and other transformative technologies. The release of the letter coincides with the Munich Security Conference, where discussions on international security amidst escalating conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, are underway. This initiative aligns with previous efforts, including an open letter urging AI labs to pause the development of models surpassing GPT-4, spearheaded by leading figures like Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, in a bid to prevent potential societal disruptions and the dominance of AI over human capabilities.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/15/richard-branson-oppenheimer-grandson-urge-action-on-ai-climate.html
