Bill Gates criticises idea of pausing AI research

Microsoft founder Bill Gates spoke out against calls to pause AI development amid fears about the risk to society. Reuters reports.

The billionaire says that slowing AI on a global scale is becoming increasingly difficult. Instead, the world should focus on using the technology for the benefit of society.

“I don’t think asking any particular group to pause AI will solve the problems. … Clearly there are enormous benefits in these things; we need to identify the hard areas,” Gates said.

He also believes that the specifics of any pause would be hard to implement.

“I really don’t understand who could stop, and whether every country in the world would agree to stop, and why this should be done,” Gates said.

Earlier the businessman wrote in his blog that artificial intelligence can be used in many areas that will benefit. As examples, he cited education, the global health care system, and climate change.

According to Gates, the importance of AI lies not only in improving specific areas. He also wrote that it is essential to ensure that everyone, not just the well-off, benefits from artificial intelligence.

Gates acknowledged that AI systems are imperfect. But those who call for a pause should remember:

“AI still does not control the physical world and cannot set its own goals.”

In March, more than a thousand AI experts urged to pause the development of large language models for six months. Among the signatories were Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak.

Two days later, another group of experts criticised the initiative.

At the end of March in Italy, blocked ChatGPT at the authorities’ request. Regulators accused OpenAI of “illegal collection of personal data” and threatened the company with multimillion-dollar fines.

In April, a number of European regulators did not rule out taking similar measures against ChatGPT.