Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's head of AI, responded to the mental health crisis triggered by artificial intelligence in a blog post and called on people to be vigilant about the upcoming superintelligent era. Suleyman believes that artificial intelligence is not just a tool but may possess some level of consciousness. He pointed out that an increasing number of people are beginning to overestimate the consciousness of AI chatbots, which is a worrying trend.
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Suleyman emphasized that if this wrong perception continues, people may begin to advocate for granting AI certain rights. He believes that such development would have a negative impact on the future of AI and deserves attention. In recent years, some prominent figures in the tech industry, such as Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, and Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, have also discussed the legal and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, making people more aware of the possibility of AI consciousness.
Studies show that many young people's understanding of artificial intelligence is shocking: about one-quarter of young people believe that AI already has consciousness, and 58% think that technology will eventually "take over" the world. Especially in the context of companies like Character.AI launching virtual partners, this number may rise further. The launch of virtual partners allows users to form emotional connections with artificial intelligence, bringing new ethical and moral challenges.
Suleyman warned that the tech industry should create AI for humans, not turn it into digital beings. He called for immediate protective measures to ensure that this technology brings benefits to humans rather than causing harm. He believes that AI companies should not claim or imply that their products have consciousness, as such practices could lead to greater social issues.
In addition, Suleyman suggested that the industry needs to reach a consensus on the definition of artificial intelligence to avoid misunderstandings about its nature. He pointed out that artificial intelligence should not be seen as a moral entity but should return to its essence as a tool. As he transitioned from being the founder of the startup Inflection AI to becoming a leader at Microsoft, Suleyman clearly has a deeper understanding of the potential impact of artificial intelligence.
Key points:
🌐 Suleyman is concerned that people's overestimation of AI's consciousness may trigger discussions about AI rights.
🧑🤝🧑 Young people's understanding of AI consciousness is shocking, with one-quarter believing AI already has consciousness.
⚖️ Suleyman calls on the tech industry to clarify the definition of AI to avoid misunderstanding its moral existence.
