Amid widespread warnings about the threats posed by artificial intelligence, futurologist Horst Opaszowski says he does not see artificial intelligence as a clear and definite threat to humanity, even if the technology poses risks, dpa reports.
”Artificial intelligence will never replace humans, at best it will only be able to copy them a little,” said the German futurist in an interview with the Catholic news agency KNA.
Recent warnings about the rise of artificial intelligence suggest that the technology could lead to massive job losses, or worse, if it ”becomes smarter than people,” as the technology’s ”godfather” Geoffrey Hinton put it when he left Google early May
Tech business leaders previously named themselves in a letter calling for a six-month freeze on AI development so we don’t ”develop non-human minds that could eventually outnumber, outsmart, outdate and replace us” and in turn , ”to risk losing control over our civilization.”
At the same time, the World Health Organization stated that the implementation of artificial intelligence in health care procedures carries the risk of ”completely incorrect” information and errors in treatment.
However, Opashovsky, who runs the Opashovsky Institute for Future Research in Hamburg, says that overall he remains optimistic.
”A futurologist who does not believe in change for the better can hang his boots on a nail,” he said. ”I was probably born with a positive attitude towards life.”
However, Opashovsky agrees with the widespread prediction that AI ”will change many things in society for better or for worse.”
”So we have to find answers to the questions of whether these changes are morally good, whether they are socially just, and whether they make life better and more worth living.”