We must not blindly follow innovation
BY PAT GELSINGER
VIEWPOINT
Fifty-five years ago, a sentient supercomputer struck fear into millions of moviegoers with a chilling phrase:
“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
The trope of artificial intelligence (AI) as the plot twist in Stanley Kubrick’s futuristic dystopia 2001: A Space Odyssey is entertaining; the reality is far more mundane, yet crucial. We must ensure AI technology advances responsibly. Industries and global leaders must work together to shape our technological future while advancements are in early development by coming together to create new possibilities that bring out the best in our human selves.
AI has already created global change and provided us with powerful tools. It has the potential to enable a responsible, inclusive, and sustainable future. We harness the power of AI to tackle critical global challenges like pandemics, natural disasters, and global public health. And we are developing AI capabilities and solutions to amplify human potential, enhance inclusion, and improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
When we create something new, it is incumbent upon us to ask, “Have I made society better—or worse?” If the technology cannot be proved to be good, the engineering remains incomplete. Only when it’s demonstrably and repeatedly better than any non-AI experience can it become a new standard.
There must always be a scientific and data-driven basis for the introduction of technology, specifically AI, and governance that guides the journey. Neutral is akin to negative in the early phases. We have experienced some darkness amid the tumult of the past couple of years, showing us how simple it is to find our world teetering on the edge of pervasive tech for bad. We cannot let ourselves blindly follow economic and algorithmic innovations run amok; we cannot chase metrics like click-through rates or time on websites. Technology must consistently demonstrate outcomes su
