An expert has claimed that AI networks could already be developing consciousness, paving the way for a Terminator-style future.
OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever took to Twitter to share his beliefs and has been blasted for the terrifying warning, as the Daily Star reports.
He hasn't clarified which technologies he is referring to, but if science fiction is anything to go by then it's not good news for the human race.
Other experts and industry insiders are angry about Ilya's comment, as they claim it moves the AI conversation away from "more realistic" risks posed by technology.
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Taking to Twitter, Ilya wrote: "It may be that today's largest neural networks are slightly conscious."
Sutskever did not mention any specific developments but was likely referring to mega-scale neural networks, which is the language processing system built by OpenAI for translations, missing words and question answering.
The expert was also unclear about what "slightly conscious" means for manmade machines because the concept of consciousness in artificial intelligence is still considered a controversial idea.
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While AI has performed impressive tasks like driving cars, flying aircraft and creating an artificial voice or face, many believe machines having conscious thought is just "hype".
AI researcher Toby Walsh at UNSW Sidney responded to Sutskever's claims, saying: "Every time such speculative comments get an airing, it takes months of effort to get the conversation back to more realistic opportunities and threats posed by AI."
Thomas G Dietterich, an AI expert at Oregon State University in the US, said that he hasn't seen any evidence of consciousness in AI and suggested Stuskever could be "trolling" those on the social media platform.
He tweeted: "If consciousness is the ability to reflect upon and model themselves, I haven't seen any such capability in today's nets. But perhaps if I were more conscious myself, I'd recognise that you are just trolling."
In a paper for Nature, he wrote: "It is the tune stuck in your head, the sweetness of chocolate mousse, the throbbing pain of a toothache, the fierce love for your child and the bitter knowledge that eventually all feelings will end."
Other experts believe discussing the issue of AI and consciousness detracts from the real discussions that should surround artificial intelligence.
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