Navigating AI Risks (NAIR) #1: Slowing Down AI

[simeon_c]

Here’s the first edition (on slowdown) of Navigating AI Risks, a newsletter on AI governance that we’re launching with some colleagues.

This newsletter is mostly aimed at policymakers but I expect that it might interest some of you to keep up with the ideas that are around in AI governance.

Here’s a bullet point summary of it:

• Open letter, signed by Y. Bengio & S. Russell. Focused on the largest language models, no effects on most AI systems.

• Rationale:

  • Avoid a race to the bottom

  • Let time for society to adapt (regarding white collar jobs vs incredible speed of AI development)

  • Develop basic laws and guardrails

  • Some experts worry about existential risks from AI

  • Foreseeable misuse of AI (disinformation, large-scale hacking)

• Proposals:

  • 6 month training pause

  • Shut down

  • Conditional slowdown, i.e. slowdown as long as there are safety failures and high risks for society.

• Difficulties:

  • Coordination is hard

  • China could benefit from it.
    

[PeterSlattery]

Thanks Simeon! This looks helpful, I will sign up and share it with some people.