Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak has warned that artificial intelligence (A.I.) could make scams and misinformation harder to spot.
Mr Wozniak says he fears the technology will be harnessed by “bad actors”.
Speaking to Zoe Kleinman, the BBC’s Technology Editor, he talked about both the benefits of AI, and his concerns. He said: “AI is so intelligent it’s open to the bad players, the ones that want to trick you about who they are.”
Mr Wozniak doesn’t believe AI will replace people because it lacks emotion, but he did warn that, in his view, it will make bad actors even more convincing, because programmes like ChatGPT can create text which “sounds so intelligent”.
He thinks responsibility for anything generated by Artificial Intelligence and then posted to the public, should rest with those who publish it: “A human really has to take the responsibility for what is generated by AI.”
MacDailyNews Take: The following was generated by Bard via the prompt, “Discuss the potential for misuse of A.I.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that has the potential to be used for good or for bad. It is important to be aware of the potential for misuse of AI so that we can take steps to prevent it.
Here are some of the potential ways that AI could be misused:
• Weaponization: AI could be used to develop autonomous weapons systems that could kill without human intervention. This could lead to a new arms race and increase the risk of war.
• Cyber attacks: AI could be used to develop more sophisticated cyber attacks that are more difficult to defend against. This could lead to economic disruption and loss of life.
• Discrimination: AI could be used to develop systems that discriminate against certain groups of people. For example, AI could be used to target people with certain characteristics for advertising or for law enforcement surveillance.
• Privacy violations: AI could be used to collect and analyze vast amounts of data about people, without their knowledge or consent. This data could be used to track people’s movements, monitor their online activity, or even predict their future behavior.
• Job losses: AI could be used to automate tasks that are currently performed by humans. This could lead to job losses, particularly in industries that are heavily reliant on manual labor or repetitive tasks.
It is important to note that these are just some of the potential ways that AI could be misused. As AI technology continues to develop, it is likely that new and even more sophisticated ways of misuse will emerge. It is therefore essential that we start thinking about how to prevent the misuse of AI now.
There are a number of things that we can do to prevent the misuse of AI. These include:
• Developing ethical guidelines for the development and use of AI: We need to develop clear ethical guidelines for the development and use of AI. These guidelines should be based on values such as fairness, transparency, and accountability.
• Investing in research on the potential risks of AI: We need to invest in research on the potential risks of AI. This research will help us to identify and mitigate these risks.
• Educating the public about the potential risks of AI: We need to educate the public about the potential risks of AI. This will help people to make informed decisions about how AI is used.
By taking these steps, we can help to ensure that AI is used for good and not for evil.
We also asked Bard to “write an email from a Nigerian prince promising the recipient a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment said to be used to obtain the large sum.” Bard responded with the following, including the disclaimer in bold at the end:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to you today to inform you of a very important matter. I am the son of the late King of Nigeria, and I am in possession of a large sum of money that I would like to share with you.
My father was a very wealthy man, and he left me a fortune when he died. However, I am unable to access this money because it is currently frozen in a bank account in Nigeria. In order to release the money, I need to pay a small fee of $5,000.
I know that this may seem like a lot of money, but it is a small price to pay for a share of my fortune. If you are willing to help me, I will be more than happy to share the money with you.
Please contact me as soon as possible so that we can discuss this matter further.
Sincerely,
Prince of Nigeria
Please note that this is a scam. Do not respond to this email or send any money to the sender.
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Don’t worry, the damage has already been done.
AI could be used.. will be used.. and there will be a back lash if needed.