Microsoft91裸聊视频檚 president says he doesn91裸聊视频檛 think artificial intelligence poses an immediate threat to humanity91裸聊视频檚 existence, but governments and businesses still need to move faster to address the technology91裸聊视频檚 risks by implementing what he calls 91裸聊视频渟afety brakes.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 see any risk in the coming years, over the next decade, that somehow AI is going to pose some kind of existential threat to humanity, but 91裸聊视频� let91裸聊视频檚 solve this problem before the problem arrives,91裸聊视频� Brad Smith said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Smith 91裸聊视频� a stalwart of Microsoft who first joined the company in 1993 and now doubles as its vice-chair 91裸聊视频� said it91裸聊视频檚 important to get the problems posed by the technology under control so the globe doesn91裸聊视频檛 have to be 91裸聊视频渃onstantly worried and talking about it.91裸聊视频�
He feels the way to address potential problems is through safety brakes, which could act like the emergency mechanisms built into elevators, school buses and high-speed trains.
They should be built into high-risk AI systems that control critical infrastructure such as electrical grids, water system and traffic.
91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 learn from art,91裸聊视频� Smith said.
91裸聊视频淓very movie in which technology imposes an existential threat ends the same way 91裸聊视频� human beings turn the technology off. (So) have an on-off switch, have a safety brake, ensure that it remains under human control. Let91裸聊视频檚 embrace that and do it now.91裸聊视频�
The remarks from Smith come as a race to use and innovate with AI has broken out in the tech sector and beyond following the release of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot designed to generate humanlike responses to text prompts.
Microsoft has invested billions into ChatGPT91裸聊视频檚 creator, San Francisco-based OpenAI, and also has its own AI-based technology, Copilot, that helps users create drafts of content, suggest different ways to word text they91裸聊视频檝e written and helps create PowerPoint presentations from Word documents.
But many have deep concerns about the pace of AI advancement. For example, Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian deep learning pioneer often referred to as the 91裸聊视频済odfather of AI,91裸聊视频� has said he feels the technology could lead to bias and discrimination, joblessness, echo chambers, fake news, battle robots and other risks.
Several governments, including Canada91裸聊视频檚, have begun devising guardrails around AI.
In a 48-page report Microsoft released Wednesday, Smith said his company is supportive of Canada91裸聊视频檚 push toward regulating AI.
Those efforts include a voluntary code of conduct released in September whose signatories 91裸聊视频� including Cohere, OpenText Corp., BlackBerry Ltd. and Telus Corp. 91裸聊视频� promise they will assess and mitigate the risks of their AI-based systems, monitor them for incidents and act on issues they develop.
Though the code has detractors such as Shopify Inc. founder Tobi L眉tke, who sees it as an example of the country using too many 91裸聊视频渞eferees91裸聊视频� when it needs more 91裸聊视频渂uilders,91裸聊视频� Smith said in the report that by shaping a code Canada has 91裸聊视频渟howed early leadership91裸聊视频� and is helping the globe work toward a common set of shared principles.
The voluntary code is expected to be followed by Canada91裸聊视频檚 forthcoming Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, which would create new criminal law provisions to prohibit 91裸聊视频渞eckless and malicious91裸聊视频� uses of AI that cause serious harm to Canadians.
The act, known as Bill C-27, has passed its first and second reading but is still being considered at committee. Ottawa has said it will come into force no sooner than 2025.
Asked why he thinks governments need to move faster on AI, Smith said the globe has faced an 91裸聊视频渆xtraordinary year91裸聊视频� since ChatGPT91裸聊视频檚 release.
91裸聊视频淲hen we say move faster, it91裸聊视频檚 frankly not meant as a criticism,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 meant as a recognition of the current reality where innovation has taken off at a faster rate than most people expected.91裸聊视频�
But he sees Canada as one of the countries most prepared to handle the pace of AI because universities have long emphasized the technology and cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver have been hotbeds for AI innovation.
91裸聊视频淚f there is a government that I think has a tradition on which it can build to adopt something like this, I think it91裸聊视频檚 Canada. I hope it91裸聊视频檒l be the first,91裸聊视频� Smith said.
91裸聊视频淚t won91裸聊视频檛 be the last if it91裸聊视频檚 the first.91裸聊视频�
But as Canada91裸聊视频檚 AI act faces 91裸聊视频渢houghtful deliberation,91裸聊视频� Smith thinks Canada should consider how it can adopt additional safeguards in the meantime.
For example, during the procurement process for high-risk AI systems, he thinks partners seeking contracts could be compelled to use third-party audits to certify that they comply with relevant international AI standards.
In the report, Smith also threw his support behind an approach to AI that will be 91裸聊视频渄eveloped and used across borders91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渆nsures that an AI system certified as safe in one jurisdiction can also qualify as safe in another.91裸聊视频�
He compared this approach to the International Civil Aviation Organization, which uses uniform standards to ensure an airplane does not need to be refitted midflight from Brussels to New York to meet varying requirements each country may have.
An international code would help AI developers attest to the safety of their systems and boost compliance globally because they would be able to use standards that are internationally agreed upon.
91裸聊视频淭he model of a voluntary code provides an opportunity for Canada, the European Union, the United States, the other members of the G7 as well as India, Brazil, and Indonesia, to move forward together on a set of shared values and principles,91裸聊视频� he said in the report.
91裸聊视频淚f we can work with others on a voluntary basis, then we will all move faster and with greater care and focus. That91裸聊视频檚 not just good news for the technology world, but for the whole world.91裸聊视频�
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