CNBC (Canadian news channel}
ASEAN published its initial framework for AI governance, as the 10 nation-bloc seeks to encourage responsible use of AI in governments and organizations. "The challenge with a region like ASEAN is that within the region, you have different countries that are at different stages of digital development."
THE GUARDIAN (UK Newspaper)
Why is the UK so slow to regulate AI?
Britain has announced £10m for regulators but has done very little to mitigate the risks linked with artificial intelligence. Plus, Facebook’s deep-fake Biden conundrum.
BANGKOK POST (Thai newspaper)
The start of 2024 has been marked by a wave of predictions regarding the trajectory of artificial intelligence, ranging from optimistic to cautious. Nevertheless, a clear consensus has emerged:
AI is already reshaping human experience. To keep up, humanity must evolve.
For anyone who has lived through the rise of the internet and social media, the AI revolution may evoke a sense of déjà vu -- and raise two fundamental questions: Is it possible to maintain the current momentum without repeating the mistakes of the past? And can we create a world in which everyone, including the 2.6 billion people who remain offline, is able to thrive?
MIRROR (UK newspaper)
The government has announced a £100 million investment to prepare the country for regulating artificial intelligence (AI) and using it safely.
The government plans to spend £90 million on launching new AI research hubs across the UK. These hubs will explore responsible ways to use AI in various fields like healthcare, chemistry, and maths. This move is part of their plan to make Britain a global leader in AI.
DW (South Africa News outlet)
EU member states on Friday finally came to agreement and approved new laws governing the safety and use of artificial intelligence, or AI.
The European Commission proposed the rules in 2021 after scrambling to create a package of laws following last year's launch of Open AI's chatbot Chat GPT. EU countries endorsed the Final approval by the EU's 27 member states was considered a formality after that approval, but concerns voiced by countries such as France and Germany led to protracted negotiations on the final wording of rules.
The EU aims to set global standards for AI use in industries ranging from banking, to manufacturing, medicine and travel. Rules also address the military use of AI as well as defining security parameters.
The above is just a sample of what’s out there.
So where do we go from here? All this in a year when elections are so vital that every thinking person must worry about the outcomes. If Democracy is to survive, then voters should be very careful who they are voting for.
Nobody surely wants to go back fifty or so years and make the same mistakes that led to a World War? Yet it seems that if the Far Right get their way, it's exactly what some people want. We don't need more Dictators or Authoritarians. During WW2 there were several and all at the same time.
As a writer I don't like the thought of AI taking over writing. Even if they were better at it (which I doubt, because they lack humour) but even more so, I don't like what AI is being produced to do - making almost exact facsimilies of famous politicians being shown to speak as if they were real. It;s almost like watching a Sci-Fi or even horror movie coming into real life. We must wake up!
I don't have the answer but I know that in the case of GDPR (Government Data Protection Regulations) a deadline was set by the EU and for those who ignored it, huge fines were in place and a sramble was on to make sure deadlines were met.. Imagine how long it would take for the world to agree on something as big as AI! That's all I have to say except:.
If AI does great things for humans as is claimed (and I hear those stories) I am all for it. But those who would disrupt and use AI for their own malicious purposes then we must be quick to make those regulations work. Or make criminals pay if they don't comply. Hitting nefarious action in the pocket book is one of the best deterrents.
“It was bad enough when years ago London changed the telephone exchanges to the all-number system, all those lovely sounding names such as Jupiter, Belgravia, Dominion, Swiss Cottage, Lavender Hill etc, all gone forever.
At the time most people mourned the passing of such elegance, even though I must admit there was an element of snob value involved. Anyone who had a Belgravia phone number would automatically be classed as “well-off” and unless one was familiar with the name-versus-area, it could be quite misleading. Lavender Hill for instance, which was a slightly shabby South London suburb (albeit beloved by many) is nowhere near the delightful vision evoked by the sound of its name. The numbering system was a measure taken supposedly to enhance efficiency, and in a way, it was also meant as a leveller - you all had numbers now - you were all therefore, the same. Somehow, I felt that it simply took some of the brightness away.
However, that was just the beginning, from the simple step of levelling all subscribers to numbers, in the ‘80’s it has been predicted that we will soon all have our own home computer from which you will be able to order your groceries, call up your bank balance (presuming you have a bank account in the first place) and have to hand (or screen) any kind of information your heart desires. At the press of a button all these amazing features will appear on your screen, and all without you having to step outside your front door.
I freely admit that computers no doubt make our lives easier in hotels and railway stations, probably saving lives in hospitals and airports and generally improve efficiency all round. We cannot do without them in these fields. But since it seems we have to have them everywhere else, do we have to have them at home? Let something be sacred. There may come a day when the only place you won’t have computers will be the local hardware store (as opposed to software). To save our souls and sanity, we who wish to escape for a while can nip inside a hardware store to take sanctuary from knobs and buttons, down among the screws and hammers.
I remember distinctly a conversation I had a long time ago, pre-computer age (as we know it), circa 1960’s, with someone who was, at the time, high up in some government research establishment in the U.K. Off-duty and a very pleasant man, he was speaking to me about an article he had just read regarding research into computers and how they had, at that time, developed a computer which could make component parts for other computers. His theory was that the next step would be to have computers which would assemble those parts - then Bingo! a newly produced computer. My hair stood on end at the prospect and he expressed his unease at his own idea. I added somewhat glibly; “You could always have someone remove the plug.” His reply; “Then they would invent a computer to replace the plug in its socket.” We changed the subject rapidly.
However, a few years ago, the likes of Professor Frank George of Brunel University in the U.K. said it was not always possible to “pull the plug” on one of the newer inventions; a sufficiently intelligent machine will quickly learn to defend itself against an attack and any attempt to disconnect its power source would be interpreted as an attack.
Since that long ago but not forgotten conversation, “A.I” or Artificial Intelligence has begun to alarm some of the most staid and the most progressive computer scientists. Professor Joseph Weizenbaum, a computer scientist from Stanford University in the United States, argued in his 1976 book “Computer Power and Human Reason” that research into “A.I” was so dangerous that it should be prohibited.
They’ve already invented a computer which will “understand and respond to questions typed in ordinary English” (hands up those who know extraordinary English). This was developed in effect, to aid the non-expert to talk to very large computers without having to know a special language. It has been also predicted that the idea will enable executives to interrogate their company’s big computer without having to go through the data-processing department. Admirable! They now have one which responds to the human voice and it’s no good munching crisps when addressing that one. Where will it all end?
I’m afraid if I ever had to speak to a computer I would feel so embarrassed that only strangled sounds would emerge from my throat, like talking to one of those answering machines. An amusing story I once heard was regarding a question fed into a company computer; “What are the wages of sin?”. The response was “$10 an hour.” Inquiries revealed the presence on the company payroll of a Mr David Sin. You can laugh at them but not with them.
Alright, at the other end of the scale, that we should, in future, look forward to no housework since a home robot could do all the chores, is thought-provoking and nearly fact. If I were presented with a home robot to help with my housework, it would be sure to get things all wrong (especially if I had to programme it) and a simple command such as “wash the dishes” would possible emerge as “wash the fishes” and R2D2 or its equivalent, would shove the poor goldfish in the dishwasher.
If I had possession of a home computer that went on the blink (or off the bleep) I wouldn’t be able to lift a finger to assist and anyway, the computer plumber or mechanic or whatever they’re called, would be round in a flash to rescue their pet from a Philistine such as me. Mind you, if the command got stuck and the home robot kept repeating the chore, it makes food for thought doesn’t it?
Computers are not human after all and no matter how complex the tasks they are able to perform, they can only imitate and expand on some of our actions or thoughts. Floppy bunnies appeal to me far more than floppy discs. I’m sure we computer-phobes (for that’s what we are) don’t want to become a number or a bleep on someone else’s screen, we don’t want to learn how to press a button to do one thing, then learn a dozen other moves to undo it again. I’ve only just mastered my abacus. Leave us with our Iron-age mentality, it’s more fun by far. Have you ever heard a computer laugh? I mean really laugh?”
Since then I have embraced computers and all they do, hence this website. A gradual introduction then turns into an obsession for some, but hopefully I still have enough life otherwise than looking at a PC screen for 8 hours a day. So the computer phobes still out there won’t be reading this and probably will never succumb. For those still on line carry on computing, it’s here to stay.
PS: I am still old fashioned enough to still prefer books made with paper than ones that I can read on screen.
AI - now AGI? What is this?
We’ve spoken on these pages of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and have attempted to allay fears and expand upon what AI is supposed to be able to accomplish on our behalf. Let’s start with some of the comments from those in the know:
Tectarget.com writes:
“What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)?
Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is the representation of generalized human cognitive abilities in software so that, faced with an unfamiliar task, the AGI system could find a solution. The intention of an AGI system is to perform any task that a human being is capable of.”
Put like that it sounds promising, however I personally don’t think we’re anything like ready as a human race to allow AI to start taking over everything we need to do.
This is a piece from OPEN AI ON AGI:
“Is OpenAI a Frankensteinian god with the potential to animate the algorithm? It’s unclear, but unlikely. However, public perceptions about artificial intelligence have already shifted after widespread interactions with chatbots. If you’re scared about recent advances in AI, you’re not alone. It’s reasonable to fear that AI will worsen economic inequality or perpetuate racist stereotypes as memes or diminish our ability to identify authentic media.”
All reasonable worries. The piece goes on to say:
“One attempt at distinguishing the abilities of humans and computers came from Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, who wondered when a computer would be able to visit a random person’s home and brew a pot of coffee. Instead of being limited to a narrow task, like calculating math equations, when would it be able to interact with the physical world to complete more varied assignments?”
Wozniak was one of the early people to query why AI was not being regulated. One of the founders of Apple, he worried that “bad actors” could do much damage if AI was left unregulated. I applaud that thought.
We’ve spoken about Chat GTP and what that does and how “bad actors” can manipulate it to cause disruption at the very least.
According to ZDNET, CHATGTP
“is a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with the chatbot.”
That alone should allay fears that armies of Robots are coming for us. AI is a technology, not a robot. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve been asked about that!
We’ve been told that an AGI agent should, in theory, be able to complete almost any intellectual task that a human or animal can do — and potentially do it better. There are certain tasks that even an AGI can’t complete, however, such as almost anything to do with the physical world. Hence Robots would be needed for that.
We are left with the message that firstly, we don’t know enough about AI yet. and secondly, Robots aren’t coming over the hill. So for now don’t worry. But please, please be aware that Rules and Regulations should be in place by at least end 2023. Things move too fast. By the time you really need to worry, it’s already done. Don’t let the bad actors be triumphant. AI needs us now. To help create rules.
Veronica Jason July 2023
NEWS!
AI TECH COMPANIES AGREE TO MAKING NEW RULES FOR AI
This was announced following meetings with the US government regarding Artificial Intelligence by the following companies:
AMAZON, GOOGLE, META, OPEN AI, MICROSOFT, ANTHROPIC AND INFLECTION.
they all apparently agreed that new rules should be put in place to regulate the future deveopment of Artificial Intelligence.
Wonderful news, providing they stick to it and act on it. Only time will tell.
Watch this space!
Veronica Jason July 2023.
AI DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH WOMEN DATA SCIENTISTS!
Melinda French Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said in a recent interview “with so few women in AI, we are baking bias into the system.” Words spoken with sincerity, as she does lots for women internationally.
She is probably referring to a field dominated by men for decades and they were possibly bright young things in Silicon Valley or working from their garages, and they’re still strong in moving things forward digitally, and in this case, moving into AI big time as they become middle aged men.
One thing to remember, when AI was recently described as being “a threat to humanity within the next three decades” it doesn’t mean a marching army of Robots! It does mean that the codings and numbers however and all the things needed to create Artificial Intelligence, is starting to get out of hand. Hence the call by the US government and other worldwide governments and institutions to create new rules NOW.
As with the Climate Crisis, whereby people just let it happen and don’t seem to realise the dangers of doing so, Artificial Intelligence, if left to grow and proliferate as it is, could mean that we create a very different world that will undermine human endeavours in other ways, ways that will be at the very least uncomfortable for us all.
Not to criticise the fact that where it is being used wisely we have had some amazing breakthroughs in medicine and science and lots of useful ways.
It's hard to sound alarms when there aren’t any imminent dangers to view, such as there is in the changes wrought with alterations seen in our climate that wreak havoc on our ecological systems and thus we get huge forest fires, drying lakes, too much heat where it isn’t welcome and ice caps melting at a faster pace
AI will eventually take its toll so make sure you are aware of this. The alarm is how fast this will happen. By being aware, you may recognise when something isn’t quite right. Make sure your voice is heard. In a recent interview an ex CEO from a huge tech company warned of the dangers of letting AI go unchecked.
What fascinates me is my own attitude to Artificial Intelligence. Over the past weeks I have been at times totally confused or totally alarmed at what could happen with AI, if it remains unchecked (and I don’t need those remarks from individuals who claim that making rules will diminish creativity – I’ve done with that argument thank you) why I see that rules are needed is because not everyone on this planet is ETHICALLY minded. That’s what’s needed, Ethics.
I now see it as I did before I’d ever even heard of AI. There are bad people out there, people who will want to make AI do things their way whatever it takes. This is where we can help so that bad things don’t happen. Be aware, write to your MP or governor to make sure there are rules laid down now instead of just hoping it will all fade into bad news. AI left unchecked is bad news.
It goes without saying that if any nefarious actions are afoot, then the rules should include enforceable monetary penalties. This is why fast action must happen now. Keep your ears open, and your eye out for where you can help make Artificial Intelligence work for the human race, not the other way round.
Veronica Jason 5th July 2023
THE TROUBLE WITH “AI”
The real trouble with AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is that there is a sad lack of ETHICS - this is our wake up call.
AI is now very much in the news and the mass of information out there is mind boggling. My main concern is that unless the average person understands what AI is, it will grow exponentially further and become something that we will regret not taking more care of now that AI is relatively new.
My generation thought in terms of weeks, months or years, we now see things marked in days rather than months or years. That’s what we can hardly get our heads around. Time flies like never before and progress happens in fantastic ways. We just have to be more alert.
Then the world spotlight suddenly falls on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and we get the message. Should we be scared of AI and what it has become? Should we be scared that if it grows without some sort of global regulation, it may get so superior and powerful that us mere humans will cower in the face of it all? This is where my own optimism steps in.
I started to write an article on AI, the day I learned that Geoffrey Hinton, ex CEO of Google and one of the joint winners of the 2018 Turing Award for work in underpinning modern AI, and that began my quest for information that wasn’t scary but informative. There’s lots out there.
I recently created a new website DATAWATCH.One, as previously I created one and had taken my eye off the ball as I had retired, although I still write. I wanted to focus on Security and inform people how they could be so. My erstwhile career was in Document Management and that led to Data etc. I am familiar with the work they do at the Turing Institute (located in the British Library) and had attended many interesting lectures there.
Watching TV programmes and seeing interviews and after much reading I tried to make sense of what modern day AI is capable of. It wasn’t a happy task. Beginning with the news from someone such as Geoffrey Hinton leaving Google because he had warnings of the dire consequences of its capabilities, I read on.
In the US there is “OpenAI/CHATGPT. Personally, anything that has “Open” on it leads one to believe that it is, or at least appears to be, more honest that anything not listed as such. I researched on what exactly the CHAT/GTP does, and it does a lot. More on this later.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is most well known for being able to manipulate speech and video so that somebody can appear say something completely different from what the original intention was. News can be manipulated and used for nefarious purposes (usually propaganda) although teenagers get a lot of fun out of fiddling around with AI images that amuse them.
So what is AI? I understood that Computers got more powerful. The amount of data and “compute” – the processing power used to train AI systems – has increased over the past decade and the capabilities this has resulted in. FLOPS (“Floating-point Operations Per second”, is the unit of measure used to calculate the power of a super-computer.) This generation of AI is very effective at absorbing data and compute, The more of each that it gets, the more powerful it becomes.
Much of today’s AI stems from scientists working in Robotics and then onto computers and so on. From this I understand that “AI systems that can generate, classify and understand text – are dangerous partly because they can mislead the public into taking synthetic text as meaningful. But the most powerful models are beginning to demonstrate complex capabilites, such as power-seeking or finding ways to actively deceive humans”.
This is a scary thought, but I recently read that one scientist had thought that a computer he was working on seemed to have a sense of humour. This reminded me of something I wrote when researching computers decades ago, in an article entitled “Computerphobes” – in effect myself - as I vowed I’d never be persuaded to use one.
I read that someone put a question directly into a computer that asked: “What is the Wages of Sin?” to which the computer responded:
“The wages of Sin is $7 per hour”
it referred to one chap in the company whose surname was Sin and he earned that much. It made me laugh. But it wasn’t meant to be funny.
If computers could think for themselves, and at the rate AI is moving forward, it could be likely sooner rather than later, then they could be a real danger. It’s up to us to make sure that ETHICS is moved to the forefront. We should make our voices heard, Global Regulation is necessary and there are moves afoot to make this happen. Add your voice.
We all love the Internet and find it useful and informative. However, I still believe that regulation was necessary back then and we missed the boat. Don’t let it happen this time round. AI needs regulation. There are plenty of people out there ready to exploit it and use it against us. Don’t get paranoid, get wise. Tell people what they can do to make sure we aren’t overrun by AI. Humans after all can still tell jokes and laugh at themselves.
VERONICA JASON
