Former U.S. presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, has expressed her concerns about the rise in technology of artificial intelligence (AI). She stated that it could inevitably pose as a serious threat to humanity from a societal and economic aspect. Clinton's opinions tie together with how she perceives the technology industry and the rapid advances that it has been able to achieve in recent years.
In a report by The Verge, Clinton has stated that the U.S. is unprepared for possible ramifications that could be caused by some oversights when it comes to the advancement of AI in the country. There seems to be a "race" going on among powerful world nations as to which country achieves the pinnacle of AI, which could potentially change the world as everyone knows it today in all aspects of life.
Clinton further expressed that some of the iconic tech geniuses such as Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, and Bill Gates have been freely giving out their professional opinions about AI. She added that the general public has not been taking their advice to heart.
Clinton stated that these tech icons are saying that "artificial intelligence is not our friend," and this technology can affect personal privacy. Such technology will be able to keep track of all the things that will be said and done once AI reaches the pinnacle of what it can achieve.
According to Business Insider, Clinton is not fully opposed to the technology, but is simply saying that much has to be grasped by engineers and scientists to minimize the dangers that AI could possibly bring. An example of a major societal change that the tech could affect is that of public transportation, wherein millions of people could lose their jobs due to automated driving — something that the public has not even began to adjust to.
However, other super power nations, such as China, are making significant strides with their research on AI. It could also potentially be dangerous for the U.S. if China will be able to establish these advancements, with the U.S. lagging behind in their own research. In this regard, it does not help that U.S. President, Donald Trump has cut the government's budget for scientific research.
