This strategy is particularly evident in discussions of artificial intelligences risks and benefits. Developers and investors hope that by persuading the public that the really “big” threat is being addressed, they will be sanguine about more immediate problem and shortcomings. They hope to create the impression that harms being done today are worth enduring because they will be far outweighed by the benefits promised for tomorrow when the technology matures. Such a strategy masks the possibility that the longer term risks will far outweigh the short term benefits of specific applications.
It is no coincidence that institutes working, for example, to anticipate the existential risks of artificial general intelligence get much of their funding from the very same billionaires who are enthusiastically pursuing the development of cutting-edge AI systems and applications. Meanwhile, it is much harder—if not impossible—to get funding for research on those cutting-edge applications that are being applied today in ways that boost profits but harm society.
The well-intentioned philosophy of long-termism, then, risks becoming a Trojan horse for the vested interests of a select few. Therefore we were surprised to see this philosophical position run like a red thread through “Our Common Agenda,” the new and far-reaching manifesto of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
The authors are suggesting that AI safety risk research and sponsorship is similar to greenwashing, just a facade to hide the short-term goals of AI technology developers.
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The authors are suggesting that AI safety risk research and sponsorship is similar to greenwashing, just a facade to hide the short-term goals of AI technology developers.