Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 president says he doesn害羞草研究所檛 think artificial intelligence poses an immediate threat to humanity害羞草研究所檚 existence, but governments and businesses still need to move faster to address the technology害羞草研究所檚 risks by implementing what he calls 害羞草研究所渟afety brakes.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 see any risk in the coming years, over the next decade, that somehow AI is going to pose some kind of existential threat to humanity, but 害羞草研究所� let害羞草研究所檚 solve this problem before the problem arrives,害羞草研究所� Brad Smith said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Smith 害羞草研究所� a stalwart of Microsoft who first joined the company in 1993 and now doubles as its vice-chair 害羞草研究所� said it害羞草研究所檚 important to get the problems posed by the technology under control so the globe doesn害羞草研究所檛 have to be 害羞草研究所渃onstantly worried and talking about it.害羞草研究所�
He feels the way to address potential problems is through safety brakes, which could act like the emergency mechanisms built into elevators, school buses and high-speed trains.
They should be built into high-risk AI systems that control critical infrastructure such as electrical grids, water system and traffic.
害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 learn from art,害羞草研究所� Smith said.
害羞草研究所淓very movie in which technology imposes an existential threat ends the same way 害羞草研究所� human beings turn the technology off. (So) have an on-off switch, have a safety brake, ensure that it remains under human control. Let害羞草研究所檚 embrace that and do it now.害羞草研究所�
The remarks from Smith come as a race to use and innovate with AI has broken out in the tech sector and beyond following the release of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot designed to generate humanlike responses to text prompts.
Microsoft has invested billions into ChatGPT害羞草研究所檚 creator, San Francisco-based OpenAI, and also has its own AI-based technology, Copilot, that helps users create drafts of content, suggest different ways to word text they害羞草研究所檝e written and helps create PowerPoint presentations from Word documents.
But many have deep concerns about the pace of AI advancement. For example, Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian deep learning pioneer often referred to as the 害羞草研究所済odfather of AI,害羞草研究所� has said he feels the technology could lead to bias and discrimination, joblessness, echo chambers, fake news, battle robots and other risks.
Several governments, including Canada害羞草研究所檚, have begun devising guardrails around AI.
In a 48-page report Microsoft released Wednesday, Smith said his company is supportive of Canada害羞草研究所檚 push toward regulating AI.
Those efforts include a voluntary code of conduct released in September whose signatories 害羞草研究所� including Cohere, OpenText Corp., BlackBerry Ltd. and Telus Corp. 害羞草研究所� promise they will assess and mitigate the risks of their AI-based systems, monitor them for incidents and act on issues they develop.
Though the code has detractors such as Shopify Inc. founder Tobi L眉tke, who sees it as an example of the country using too many 害羞草研究所渞eferees害羞草研究所� when it needs more 害羞草研究所渂uilders,害羞草研究所� Smith said in the report that by shaping a code Canada has 害羞草研究所渟howed early leadership害羞草研究所� and is helping the globe work toward a common set of shared principles.
The voluntary code is expected to be followed by Canada害羞草研究所檚 forthcoming Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, which would create new criminal law provisions to prohibit 害羞草研究所渞eckless and malicious害羞草研究所� uses of AI that cause serious harm to Canadians.
The act, known as Bill C-27, has passed its first and second reading but is still being considered at committee. Ottawa has said it will come into force no sooner than 2025.
Asked why he thinks governments need to move faster on AI, Smith said the globe has faced an 害羞草研究所渆xtraordinary year害羞草研究所� since ChatGPT害羞草研究所檚 release.
害羞草研究所淲hen we say move faster, it害羞草研究所檚 frankly not meant as a criticism,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 meant as a recognition of the current reality where innovation has taken off at a faster rate than most people expected.害羞草研究所�
But he sees Canada as one of the countries most prepared to handle the pace of AI because universities have long emphasized the technology and cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver have been hotbeds for AI innovation.
害羞草研究所淚f there is a government that I think has a tradition on which it can build to adopt something like this, I think it害羞草研究所檚 Canada. I hope it害羞草研究所檒l be the first,害羞草研究所� Smith said.
害羞草研究所淚t won害羞草研究所檛 be the last if it害羞草研究所檚 the first.害羞草研究所�
But as Canada害羞草研究所檚 AI act faces 害羞草研究所渢houghtful deliberation,害羞草研究所� Smith thinks Canada should consider how it can adopt additional safeguards in the meantime.
For example, during the procurement process for high-risk AI systems, he thinks partners seeking contracts could be compelled to use third-party audits to certify that they comply with relevant international AI standards.
In the report, Smith also threw his support behind an approach to AI that will be 害羞草研究所渄eveloped and used across borders害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渆nsures that an AI system certified as safe in one jurisdiction can also qualify as safe in another.害羞草研究所�
He compared this approach to the International Civil Aviation Organization, which uses uniform standards to ensure an airplane does not need to be refitted midflight from Brussels to New York to meet varying requirements each country may have.
An international code would help AI developers attest to the safety of their systems and boost compliance globally because they would be able to use standards that are internationally agreed upon.
害羞草研究所淭he model of a voluntary code provides an opportunity for Canada, the European Union, the United States, the other members of the G7 as well as India, Brazil, and Indonesia, to move forward together on a set of shared values and principles,害羞草研究所� he said in the report.
害羞草研究所淚f we can work with others on a voluntary basis, then we will all move faster and with greater care and focus. That害羞草研究所檚 not just good news for the technology world, but for the whole world.害羞草研究所�
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