#Abstract of talk

Large model AI can be reconceived as a social collaboration between the people who provided data to the model in the form of text, images, and other modalities. This is a figure/ground inversion of the usual conception of AI as being a participant or collaborator in its own right. Explanations of model results and behaviors would then center around the relative influence of specific inputs through a provenance calculation mechanism. This formulation suggests new and different strategies for long term economics in the context of high performance AI, as well as more concrete approaches to many safety, fairness, and alignment questions.

Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist, composer, artist, and author. He currently serves as “Prime Unifying Scientist” for Microsoft. He has received many awards, including a lifetime career award from the IEEE and the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, one of literature’s highest honors. In 2018, he was named one of the 25 most influential people in the previous 25 years of tech history by Wired Magazine. He's also been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, top one hundred public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy Magazine, and top 50 World Thinkers by Prospect Magazine. In computer science he is probably best known for his work in Virtual Reality. He coined the term, had the first startup, sold the first hardware, and pioneered the major applications. His tech startups from the 1980s landed at Adobe, Google, Pfizer, and Oracle. He is also known as a critic of technology, through his books like Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts, and for TV appearances such as in “The Social Dilemma”. He is also active in cognitive science, theoretical physics, philosophy, and economics.

#What are we building?

In the ongoing discourse about artificial intelligence (AI), a key distinction emerges: AI is not a creature but a sophisticated tool designed to augment human capabilities. The realm of machine learning is vast with many unexplored territories, and while it's uncertain if AI can possess emotions, the perception of AI ranges widely. It's a personal choice whether one views AI as merely a tool or something more akin to a living being.

#AI: Collaborator or Creature?

Engineers crafting AI systems are at the forefront of creating a new technological landscape. However, there's a notable frustration in how AI is frequently perceived—as just a means to solve problems. It's critical to reiterate that AI, despite its capabilities, should remain a tool; it should neither dominate our world nor should the engineers wielding this tool seek to manipulate global dynamics.

#The Pitfalls of Data Misuse

Data misuse represents a significant challenge in the AI space. AI operates on data, and the integrity of this data is paramount. Misuse at the data level can lead to problematic outputs, making robust testing and secure AI applications crucial. Building extensive machine learning models requires significant resources, emphasizing that the choice of data is vital for developing impactful and ethical AI systems. Safeguarding against the use of AI-generated content for political manipulation or other unintended purposes is another critical concern.

During a recent roundtable, it was mentioned that Microsoft maintains a positive relationship with OpenAI. Despite this, the notion that AI might be treated as a living entity rather than a tool was highlighted as a troubling trend.

#The Negative Impact of Social Networking Sites

The debate whether AI is a living entity or a mere extension of human capability is perhaps an unnecessary one. For instance, speculative ideas like "the world as a simulator" are distractions from more pressing issues. From the perspective of someone working at Microsoft, AI is definitively not a living being; it is a tool designed to perform tasks that humans prefer to avoid. Questions about AI's potential to destroy humanity often miss the point—it is here to assist, not to overthrow.

The influence of social networking sites has been significantly negative, according to some views within the industry. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are seen as harmful, suggesting a need for a reevaluation of their societal impact.