The future of AI:

Technocrats are voicing concern about the safety of artificial intelligence. Should we let them take charge of figuring out how to regulate it?

Alarmism in online articles generates sensational news and keeps the marketing machine running. The more hype, the more clicks, the more visits, the more money. Unfortunately, online news surrounding artificial intelligence has not been spared by this trend.

artificial intelligence refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving and decision-making. AI is achieved using algorithms and sophisticated computer programs that can analyze data, recognize patterns and make predictions or recommendations based on that data. The most apt example of what AI can do is provide chatbots that answer questions as a natural person would.

Many have made doom-filled predictions of AI, including cheating students asking chatbots to write their essays, scammers using voice cloning to rip off grandmas by pretending to be their granddaughters, AI taking away jobs from hardworking Americans, feeding people wrong information and creating too much economic inequality.

This bolsters the "sky is falling" media outlets that survive on clickbait fostering a public dialogue based not on well-reasoned and calm opinions but on emotional volatility. People at the highest echelons of tech are not immune from alarmism.

In June, many of the biggest household names in technology, one being Bill Gates, signed a statement stating that machine learning and artificial intelligence can be as harmful as global warming or a nuclear disaster.

During his testimony before Congress, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI but not a signer to the statement, confidently expressed the need to regulate this technology for the betterment of society. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, echoed this sentiment in a “Good Morning America” statement.

Their clarion call for tech leaders is that a new regulatory apparatus must be developed to ensure that such technology is developed safely and responsibly to minimize harm.

The idea that big technology companies, like OpenAI and Apple, might be in the best position to determine how AI technology should be regulated is akin to having Wall Street regulate itself. One does not have to ask a chat box if such a scenario can produce stunningly disastrous results. It is findable in history books under the 2008 Mortgage Crisis.

This is not to say there’s no place for global or national AI regulation. Such rules are essential to establish broad ethical boundaries, protect fundamental rights and prevent harmful uses of AI. But do we want those that make these products and services to be at the forefront of helping Congress make laws that control those same products and services, even if the intention is for the greater good?

The answer is and will always be always no. This is a classic case of rent-seeking, where big tech companies try to create barriers to entry for competitors by promoting regulations that they themselves can easily comply with due to their vast resources with a vested interest in maintaining their dominance. While most tech CEOs do prioritize the responsible and positive use of their technology, it is important to acknowledge that this can still be viewed as rent-seeking behavior if lawmaking is involved.

Time Magazine has already uncovered that Open AI sought to downplay the dangers of its specific technology to the European Union while proclaiming the dangers of AI generally.

In the end, it is clear that we are entering a brave new world when it comes to AI. But the real story might be tech leaders promising to protect us from the unintended consequences of this powerful technology they make readily available while making others pay to play. That is not hyperbole.

Lance Pounds, an Idaho-licensed attorney and social entrepreneur, recently made Omaha his new home, transitioning from his native Boise. As the founder of Press Play (http://www.pressplaycenter.com), he is at the forefront of using assistive technology to cultivate stronger, more supportive communities.

Read more from Nebraska’s first non-profit newsroom at https://nebraskaexaminer.com.