Artificial intelligence could meet or exceed human-level as early as 2027, according to a leading expert in the rapidly developing field.
The statement was made by Ben Goertzel at this year’s Beneficial AGI Summit. Previous predictions placed the expectation around 2029 or 2030, but the technology is developing so quickly that it is outpacing the originally given timeline.
Human-level AI is also known as “artificial general intelligence (AGI)” and represents the standard intelligence an educated person would have, while superhuman AI, known as “artificial superintelligence (ASI),” is said to have a concentrated intelligence of all of civilization’s knowledge.
Goertzel cautioned, however, that although the technology would have amazing capabilities, it would not be a bona-fide human mind as people understand it and that exactly what tone the intelligence would take is unpredictable.
This is a cause for great concern, as the implementation of AI could open a Pandora’s box of destructive possibilities for humanity if given too much power with too little oversight.
In a riveting talk at the Beneficial #AGI Summit, Ben Goertzel, an AI visionary, stirs the pot with a daring forecast: the dawn of artificial superintelligence (#ASI) by 2027. 😱
➡️ Goertzel isn't just making wild guesses; he's drawing on years of AI evolution, juxtaposing his… pic.twitter.com/lK34R2RWre
— Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP (@VanRijmenam) March 8, 2024
Artificial intelligence, once a science-fiction dream, has become a revolutionary new reality with the 2023 breakthrough of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a program that can answer questions and respond to commands by providing information and completing individual tasks such as generating basic reports.
While the astonishing technology is evolving, critics point out its lack of human touch. Furthermore, it is influenced by the biases of its programmers, as it has been known to promote political correctness. Even Elon Musk has pointed out its alarming sense of morality when Google’s chatbot Gemini was questioned with ethical scenarios. In response, Musk has chosen to create his own AI, known as Grok, on the social media platform X.
Its expansion into producing AI-created images and art has also generated much controversy, as artists have claimed copyright infringement and celebrities have cried foul over privacy violations as it has created adult-oriented images using their likenesses.
But these issues are likely the least of the troubles that could potentially arise in a future governed by artificial intelligence run amok. A future event called “the singularity,” when AI surpasses human knowledge and ability, is looked forward to by some as a godsend for humanity. However, it could just as easily be its doom.
In a time when education is censored by activists and the rising generation is being deprived of learning basic critical thinking skills, having a technology that does everything for everybody could very well bring out the worst in humanity if it is not carefully cultivated and implemented with wisdom and care.
