‘ ’ j TEA M TALK

Should I be worried about AI?

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

ANOTHER day, another set of stories about artificial intelligence. ‘AI is the most dangerous thing we’ve ever invented,’ said the headline above an article in The Telegraph by blogger Zvi Mowshowitz. The Guardian warned that, according to experts, ‘AI could harm the health of millions and pose an existential threat to humanity’. In a BBC interview, computer scientist Dr Geoffrey Hinton asked: ‘What do we do to mitigate the long-term risks of things more intelligent than us taking control?’

Feeling overwhelmed by the potential dangers of AI, I hunted for more positive stories. I wondered what were the benefits to developing AI. After a bit of clicking online, I found a number of pros: AI can automate repetitive tasks. It reduces human error. It can undertake jobs that are dangerous for humans. It can work 24 hours a day.