Bill Gates predicts how artificial intelligence will evolve
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes that AI will be ‘as fundamental’ as the creation of the personal computer, the Internet and the mobile phone.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has published a 7-page letter in which he talked about the importance that Artificial Intelligence will have in the future. Gates says that the development of this technology is “as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet and the mobile phone”.
“In my life, I have seen two technology demos that I thought were revolutionary. The first time was in 1980, when I was introduced to a graphical user interface, the forerunner of all modern operating systems, including Windows [...] The second came last year. I had been meeting with the OpenAI team since 2016 and was impressed by their steady progress.”
For Gates, AI “will change the way people work, learn, travel, get healthcare and communicate with each other. Entire industries will reorient themselves around it. Companies will distinguish themselves by how well they use it.”
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The billionaire believes that this technology could reduce inequality in the world, especially in the treatment of diseases in poor countries. “Globally, the worst inequity is in health: 5 million children under the age of five die every year [...] It is hard to imagine a better use of AI than saving children’s lives”, he points out in his letter.
Other areas in which AI could be applied could be education and the fight against climate change, issues in which the Gates Foundation is involved. “I believe that in the next five to 10 years, AI-powered software will finally deliver on the promise of revolutionizing the way people teach and learn.”
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In his letter, Gates also raises the possibility that AI could start to think for itself, one of the biggest fears when developing technology. He calls the more advanced AIs “strong”, and believes they “will probably be able to set their own targets.”
However, he also tries to reassure the reader by saying, “none of the advances in recent months have brought us substantially closer to a strong AI.” At the same time, he also wonders what would happen if the goals of strong AI conflict with the interests of humanity.
“Should we try to prevent strong AI ever being developed? These questions will become more pressing over time.”
“This new technology can help people around the world improve their lives. At the same time, the world needs to set the rules of the road so that the drawbacks of AI are far outweighed by its benefits, and so that everyone can enjoy those benefits no matter where they live or how much money they have. The AI Age is full of opportunities and responsibilities,” concludes Gates.