White House response to AI a good sign but demonstrates our unpreparedness

In a recent press conference, President Obama directly addressed the issue of how to best develop artificial intelligence.One of the things he stressed in his remarks was that artificial intelligence would need to be developed in collaborationwith the US government. Just a week earlier, the White House had issued a 60-page report, “Preparing for the Future ofArtificial Intelligence.” With the national spotlight now on AI, artificial intelligence researchers are weighing in on the President’s approach to prepare for AI.

A step in the right direction

Most AI researchers are in agreement that the government’s involvement moving forward is a good thing for the industry. After all, nobody knows better than AI developers the potential for AI to be misused and the government could be invaluable in creating safeguards that would prevent that from happening. But AI researchers are also pointing out problems with the White House’s approach.

So much we don’t know

One of the statements Obama made regarding AI is that “If you’ve got a computer that can play Go, a pretty complicated game… then developing an algorithm that lets you maximize profits on the New York Stock Exchange is probably within sight.” AI researchers say this is inaccurate as financial trading is infinitely more complex than even a game like Go and would require artificial general intelligence which is nowhere in sight.

There were other instances where Obama revealed a lack of understanding regarding AI. One thing is clear, if the government is to play a role in developing AI, the White House is going to need some artificial intelligence consultants to advise them.

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Source: techrepublic.com/article/ai-experts-weigh-in-on-the-white-house-approach-to-artificial-intelligence/