Elon Musk is already funding more scientific research than nearly anyone on the planet, but now a volunteer organization called The Future of Life Institute is utilizing 7 million dollars of Musk’s 10 million-dollar donation to fund projects in the hopes that we can avoid the dangers of Artificial Intelligence. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has a lot on his plate, and he wants to preserve his interests, and those of mankind, by making sure that we aren’t eradicated as a species by hyper-intelligent programming in the future.
Possible outcomes of artificial intelligence worth spending 10 million dollars to prevent
Scientists and intellectuals have been stating for years the dangers of a potential A.I., and urging that the matter is not to be taken lightly. Theoretical Physicist Stephen Hawking, who is a member of the scientific advisory board at The Future of Life Institute, warns of the frightening reality of the impended artificial intelligence: “Success in creating artificial intelligence would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last.” Hawking often warns of the threat posed by sentient programming that we will have the ability to create in the not too distant future. Among the projects that have been awarded funding by The Future of Life Institute are; “How to build ethics into robust artificial intelligence,” “aligning Super Intelligence with Human Interest,” and “Towards a Code of A.I. Research,” all of which mirror the values and concerns for developing this type of technology.
Can The Future of Life Institute really prevent negative effects of A.I.?
The Future of Life Institute was not created to stop artificial intelligence, but rather to decide how best to live alongside the inevitable creation. The Boston-born organization was founded by MIT cosmologist Max Tegmark and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn, with the purpose of determining and addressing risks posed by the exponential growth of technology. If we aren’t prepared for the introduction of artificial intelligence, the effects for humanity could be dire. However, organizations like The Future of Life Institute are working towards achieving a harmony with A.I. in order to benefit man and machine.
