The 2024 World Laureates Forum in Shanghai shed light on the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential challenges. Leading the discourse, Christopher Pissarides, a Nobel laureate in economics and Professor at the London School of Economics, emphasized the critical need to navigate AI development thoughtfully.
\"Many choices in AI development are not on the right track of 'improving human well-being',\" Pissarides stated during his keynote speech on \"AI at Work.\" He highlighted that the rise of AI is altering the labor market, with role transformations becoming more prevalent than outright job losses. In this AI-driven era, jobs will continuously evolve, necessitating that employees focus on acquiring skills that ensure their stability amidst rapid changes.
Jon Kleinberg, a 2024 World Laureates Association Prize winner and Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University, echoed these concerns at Fudan University. He warned about the inherent biases in algorithms, which can mirror the prejudices present in their training data. \"Even with a vast amount of data, it cannot always accurately represent the truth of the world,\" Kleinberg explained. He also cautioned that reliance on uniform algorithms could lead to cultural homogenization, resulting in less diversity in decision-making and societal norms.
Gong Ke, executive dean of the Chinese Academy of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies, offered a balanced perspective at the Intelligence Science session. He pointed out that AI inherently comes with both threats and opportunities. To harness AI's potential responsibly, he emphasized the importance of developing it alongside safety, reliability, and trustworthiness.
As the 2024 World Laureates Forum continues until October 27, attendees can look forward to more insightful discussions on the future of AI and its impact on various sectors.
Reference(s):
AI's double-edged sword: Top scientists sound alarm at 2024 WLA Forum
cgtn.com
