Technology in a Turbulent World

Arguments

The tech revolution is transforming the work in life sciences

Supporting facts:

• With AI, I can do it faster and I can do it better

• The coexistence of advancements in technology and biology is leading to a scientific renaissance in life sciences

Topics: AI, Life Sciences, Technology

AI and advancements in Biology have synergistic effects

Supporting facts:

• These advancements allow us to do things that we were not able to do until now

• Generative AI is a recent advancement that has been extensively used in labs

Topics: AI, Biology

AI is a powerful tool, in the hands of bad people it can be harmful but if used well it can be beneficial

Supporting facts:

• Albert Bourla makes an assertion that AI’s impact can vary greatly depending upon the users’ intention, implying it could be used either constructively or destructively

Topics: AI, Regulation, Trust

The benefits of AI presently outweigh the risks

Supporting facts:

• Albert Bourla asserts that the present state of AI offers more benefits than risks

Topics: AI, Risk management

Regulations are needed for AI, particularly in the medical sector

Supporting facts:

• Albert Bourla suggests the need for regulations to set guardrails for the use of AI in medicine

Topics: AI, Regulation, Medical field

China is making great progress in life sciences

Supporting facts:

• There are more biotechs in China than exist in the US, UK or Europe

• Chinese government is committed to develop basic science in life sciences

Topics: China, life sciences, biotech

Expectation of major scientific advancements coming from China

Supporting facts:

• In a few years, Albert Bourla expects to see the first new molecular entities coming from China and not from the US

Topics: China, life sciences, scientific advancements

Report

The tech revolution, driven by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), is bringing about a transformative impact on the field of life sciences. AI is playing a crucial role in accelerating the drug discovery process, leading to the rapid development of medications.

For example, the oral pill for COVID, Pax Clovid, was developed in just four months instead of the typical four years using AI. Furthermore, AI has shifted the focus from drug discovery to drug design, allowing researchers to reduce the number of synthesised molecules.

The synergy between AI and advancements in biology is propelling scientific progress in life sciences. These new advancements enable scientists to achieve tasks that were once deemed impossible. One notable breakthrough is the emergence of Generative AI, which has been extensively employed in laboratories.

With Generative AI, researchers are able to generate new molecules with specific properties, opening up new possibilities for drug development and other biological applications. However, the integration of AI in life sciences necessitates the establishment of effective regulations, particularly in the medical sector.

Albert Bourla, a leading figure in the industry, emphasises the need for guardrails to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI in medicine. Regulations will help mitigate potential risks associated with the use of AI in healthcare while facilitating its beneficial implementation.

China has emerged as a significant player in the field of life sciences, with a strong commitment from the government to develop basic science in this sector. China boasts more biotech companies than the US, UK, or Europe, indicating its progress in this area.

Albert Bourla even suggests that in a few years, the first new molecular entities could potentially come from China rather than the US. However, concerns have been raised regarding China’s approach to AI regulation, creating uncertainty about its potential impact on the industry.

In conclusion, the tech revolution, driven by AI advancements, is reshaping the landscape of life sciences. The use of AI is accelerating drug discovery, enabling scientific breakthroughs, and offering immense potential for the future. However, effective regulations must be established to ensure the responsible use of AI, particularly in the medical field.

China’s progress in life sciences is noteworthy, but questions remain regarding its approach to AI regulation. Overall, the benefits of AI in life sciences currently outweigh the risks, but striking a balance between protection and enabling scientific progress is of paramount importance.

Expectations are high for major scientific advancements to emerge from China in the near future.

Arguments

Artificial Intelligence is a double-edged sword; it can bring advancements or destruction.

Supporting facts:

• Some people perceive AI as a threat to humankind, others view its potential use in improving daily life, like in their cars.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Impact of AI, Uses of AI

Trust in AI is a major concern for people

Supporting facts:

• Questions whether AI can be trusted with tasks like driving a car, writing papers, or filling out medical forms

Topics: AI, Trust, Understanding AI

Understanding how AI works might help engender trust

Supporting facts:

• Links trust in AI to understanding how it works

• Mentions the issue AI researchers have in explaining why AI does what it does

Topics: Understanding AI, AI Trust

AI is becoming complex to the point that we may have to trust the ‘black box’

Supporting facts:

• Raises the issue of AI’s complexity and whether we can ever fully understand it

Topics: Complexity of AI, AI Trust, Black Box

AI systems should be able to explain their reasoning in a way we can understand

Supporting facts:

• Sam Altman: I think our AI systems will also be able to do the same thing. They’ll be able to explain to us in natural language the steps from A to B

Topics: AI transparency, Algorithmic decision-making

People are less forgiving of computers making mistakes than humans

Supporting facts:

• Sam Altman: I think humans are pretty forgiving of other humans making mistakes, but not really at all forgiving of computers making mistakes

Topics: AI adoption, AI safety

Fareed Zakaria is concerned about potential misuse of AI technology by malicious individuals.

Supporting facts:

• My fear is often what would bad people do with this technology.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Regulation, Technology Misuse

Concerns about compensation for data used by AI models

Supporting facts:

• The New York Times is suing OpenAI and other AI companies over the usage of their articles as inputs for language predictions without providing compensation. Fareed Zakaria asks if the individuals or entities that produce this data, which is used in the public domain, should be adequately compensated.

Topics: Data use, AI, Compensation, The New York Times lawsuit

Report

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that has both potential advancements and destructive capabilities. There are differing opinions on its impact on society and daily life. Some see AI as a tool that can greatly improve various aspects of life, such as in cars or other daily activities, while others perceive it as a potential threat to humankind.

Trust in AI is a major concern for many people. Questions arise regarding whether AI can be trusted with important tasks like driving, writing, or medical forms. Building trust in AI is closely related to understanding how it works. Some argue that if people can comprehend the underlying mechanisms of AI, they may be more inclined to trust it.

However, the complex nature of AI and its advancement to the point of being a “black box” raise doubts about our ability to fully understand it. Transparency is crucial in gaining trust in AI. It is argued that AI systems should be able to explain their reasoning in a way that humans can understand.

The ability to provide explanations for decisions and actions can bridge the gap between intricate calculations and human comprehension. It is worth noting that people tend to be less forgiving of computers making mistakes than they are of humans. This highlights the need for AI systems to be highly reliable and accurate in order to gain public acceptance.

Another point of debate is whether AI can surpass human beings in areas such as emotional intelligence and empathy. Some believe that AI may possess greater capabilities in these aspects, while others argue that emotional intelligence and empathy will remain uniquely human qualities.

Concerns also arise regarding the potential misuse of AI technology by malicious individuals. Addressing this issue and ensuring responsible use of AI are seen as key priorities. Furthermore, there are skeptics of the idea that AI may rule over humans.

It is argued that AI should not hold dominance and that this perspective undermines the potential risks associated with AI. Additionally, the compensation for data used by AI models is a significant consideration. The New York Times’ lawsuit against AI companies for using their articles without compensation raises questions about adequate compensation for individuals or entities that produce data in the public domain.

In conclusion, the discussion surrounding AI involves various perspectives. The potential advancements and destruction of AI are recognized. Trust, transparency, and understanding are key concerns. The debates around AI surpassing human capabilities, AI misuse, and compensation for data used by AI models are all important aspects to consider when evaluating the impact of AI on society.

Arguments

AI needs light touch regulation due to its emerging stage

Supporting facts:

• AI is still at an early, emergent stage

Topics: AI, Regulation

AI can be used in solving big problems like pandemics

Supporting facts:

• AI could help in speeding up the vaccine development process

Topics: AI, Healthcare, Pandemics

It’s crucial to allow AI technology to grow while understanding its potential implications

Supporting facts:

• There’s much we don’t know about AI and where it’s going

Topics: AI, Ethics in Technology

Setting global AI standards should reflect liberal democratic values

Supporting facts:

• Liberal democracy is a form of government that is maintained by the rule of law

• AI is increasingly influencing global standards

Topics: AI, Global standards, Democracy

Dialogue with countries like China is vital to prevent AI from becoming a tool in the geostrategic superpower race

Supporting facts:

• AI has potential military applications

• Preventing a military arms race in AI is of global interest

Topics: AI, China, Geopolitics

Report

Artificial intelligence (AI) is still in its early stages of development and therefore requires light-touch regulation due to its emergent nature. However, the United Kingdom stands to benefit tremendously from AI. London, specifically, is the second-largest hub for AI, and the country boasts a thriving trillion-dollar tech economy.

The potential of AI to transform public services is significant, streamlining processes, improving efficiency, and leading to lower tax levels. Furthermore, AI can play a crucial role in solving major global problems, such as pandemics, by accelerating the vaccine development process and enabling faster responses to outbreaks.

It is important to ensure that AI is not misused for harmful purposes, such as the development of nuclear weapons. The UK has taken steps to address this concern, hosting the AI Safety Summit to discuss the ethical implications of AI and prevent misuse.

As AI increasingly influences global standards, it is crucial to set these standards in alignment with liberal democratic values. Liberal democracy, maintained by the rule of law, values individual freedoms and protections. Setting global AI standards that reflect these values becomes imperative.

Engaging in dialogue with countries like China is essential to prevent AI from becoming a tool in the geostrategic superpower race. Since AI has potential military applications, preventing a military arms race in AI is of interest globally. Neutral sentiment is expressed towards involving China in discussions and collaborations regarding AI development.

Regulation and laws play a vital role in harnessing the potential of AI as a force for good. Shaping AI regulations and laws becomes crucial to influence the direction of technology and prevent its misuse. Lastly, to ensure societal stability and prevent deepening inequalities, it is necessary to distribute the benefits of the AI revolution evenly.

Previous technological revolutions have demonstrated that when benefits are shared inclusively, societal fractures are prevented from widening. Positive sentiment is expressed towards the equitable distribution of the advantages brought about by AI technology. In conclusion, while AI is still in its emergent stage, the UK has the potential to benefit greatly from its development.

However, it is crucial to navigate the path forward thoughtfully and responsibly. Setting global AI standards, preventing misuse, shaping regulation, and ensuring equitable distribution of benefits are crucial steps in harnessing the potential of AI as a force for good while also addressing potential risks and challenges.

Arguments

AI can significantly improve business productivity and customer service through automation and data analysis

Supporting facts:

• AI can accurately provide information about customer’s problems, forcing field sales reps to rely less on different departments

• AI allows field sales reps to spend more time with customers by reducing the time spent on researching customer needs and history

Topics: AI, Productivity, Automation, Customer Service

AI has been used to improve productivity in the past

Supporting facts:

• Julie Sweet has used AI for a decade.

• Thousands of people who manually tested computer systems were replaced by AI in 2015.

Topics: AI, Productivity

New generation AI is more powerful and accessible

Supporting facts:

• Julie Sweet says that Gen AI is more powerful than prior versions of technology.

Topics: Gen AI, Technology Access

AI training is necessary for all employees

Supporting facts:

• Accenture introduced technology training for everyone.

• The company plans to train 250,000 people on Gen AI and responsibility in the next six months.

Topics: AI Training, Workforce Development

Responsible use of AI is coming to companies

Supporting facts:

• Accenture’s AI is automatically routed and assessed for risk.

• Julie Sweet expects this to be ubiquitous in 12 to 24 months across responsible companies.

Topics: Responsible AI, Corporate Responsibility

Julie Sweet believes in finding a common ground and creating common standards for data regulation for global benefit.

Supporting facts:

• Accenture operates globally and thus understands the implications of varied regulations.

• The importance of uniformity in standards for any kind of globalization.

Topics: data regulation, globalization

She stresses towards the continuous learning and educating ourselves

Supporting facts:

• Work done with KPMG, PwC, and WEF on trust and digital trust.

Topics: education, self-learning

Report

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise business productivity and customer service through automation and data analysis. By automating tasks and providing accurate information about customer problems, AI reduces the reliance on different departments and enables field sales representatives to spend more time with customers.

This improves customer interactions and allows for a deeper understanding of customer needs and history. However, to ensure the responsible and effective use of AI, leaders must educate themselves about its capabilities and limitations. Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, emphasises the importance of leaders understanding AI to avoid unnecessary restrictions or misuse.

A proper understanding of AI enables the implementation of safeguards and risk management, ensuring its ethical and responsible use. The past use of AI to improve productivity is evidence of its effectiveness. Julie Sweet highlights that AI has been used for over a decade in Accenture, and in 2015, thousands of people who manually tested computer systems were replaced by AI.

This example demonstrates how AI streamlines processes, increases efficiency, and contributes to overall productivity. The emergence of new generation AI brings even more powerful and accessible technology. Gen AI, as mentioned by Julie Sweet, offers enhanced capabilities and benefits that many employees desire.

It further enhances productivity and positively impacts customer service. Recognising the importance of AI training, Accenture has introduced technology training for everyone. The company plans to train 250,000 people in Gen AI and responsibility within the next six months. This emphasis on training reflects the necessity of equipping employees with the knowledge and skills required to leverage the potential of AI effectively.

Furthermore, responsible AI use is becoming prevalent in companies. Accenture already employs AI that is automatically routed and assessed for risk, and Julie Sweet expects this practice to be widespread among responsible companies within the next 12 to 24 months. This demonstrates the growing focus on responsible implementation and management of AI technologies.

Julie Sweet believes in finding common ground and creating standards for data regulation that benefit global society. Accenture’s global operations have provided a deep understanding of regulation implications, highlighting the importance of standardisation and collaboration in achieving effective data governance in a globalised world.

Humility and open conversation are emphasised by Julie Sweet as essential qualities for successful leadership. Accenture encourages leaders to lead with excellence, confidence, and humility, fostering an environment that values diverse perspectives and promotes open dialogue. Julie Sweet views platforms like Davos as crucial for global conversations on leadership and challenges.

Continuous learning and education are also key aspects of Julie Sweet’s message. By stressing the importance of continuous learning and educating ourselves, she acknowledges the need to stay updated and adapt to the rapidly advancing technology landscape. In conclusion, AI holds significant potential to improve business productivity and customer service.

However, to fully harness these benefits, leaders need to educate themselves, implement safeguards, and train employees. Responsible use of AI is becoming prevalent in companies, and the new generation AI offers even more powerful capabilities. Finding common ground and creating standards for data regulation, along with qualities like humility and open conversation, are essential for effective leadership.

Continuous learning and education remain crucial in adapting to the evolving technological landscape.

Arguments

AI could moderate discussions

Supporting facts:

• Suggested the possibility of a digital WEF moderator within a few years.

• Mentioned that AI might do a good job given its access to vast amounts of information

Topics: AI, Technology, Communication

Trust is essential in AI

Supporting facts:

• Highlighted the importance of trust, especially as we enter an era of digital doctors and digital people.

• Referenced the UK Safety Summit as an essential step towards building trust.

Topics: Trust, AI, Ethics

AI continues to face challenges such as hallucinations

Supporting facts:

• Shared an anecdote about an AI incorrectly stating someone’s professional role, emphasizing that AI still makes mistakes or ‘hallucinations’.

Topics: AI, Technology, Challenges

AI’s current role is augmenting human abilities, not replacing them.

Supporting facts:

• Pointed out that while customers may want better margins and relationships, AI presently aids in augmenting those targets instead of replacing human roles.

Topics: AI, Workforce, Human abilities

Marc Benioff thinks we’re moving into a new world with AI, full of uncertainty and possibilities.

Supporting facts:

• He cites cultural references to AI like Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey and films like her, Minority Report, and War Games.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Future Technologies

AI has the potential to greatly improve business efficiency and productivity

Supporting facts:

• A Gucci call center implemented AI and saw a 30% increase in revenue

• AI-enabled service professionals are able to also become sales and marketing professionals, adding value to their roles

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Business Efficiency, Productivity

Report

The World Economic Forum (WEF) discussed the potential benefits and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI). One positive aspect highlighted was the possibility of AI moderating discussions in the future, given its access to vast amounts of information. Trust was identified as crucial in the era of digital doctors and digital people, and the UK Safety Summit was mentioned as an important step towards building trust in AI.

However, it was acknowledged that AI still faces challenges, such as making mistakes or “hallucinations.” Regulation was seen as necessary to prevent chaos, with an emphasis on the need for a healthy partnership between AI developers and regulators. The current role of AI was viewed as augmenting human abilities rather than replacing them.

The future with AI was described as uncertain, with cultural references to AI in movies highlighting the possibilities and unknowns. Clear governance and adherence to values were seen as important in AI development, along with incorporating trust and safety measures to prevent misuse.

The potential for AI to improve business efficiency and productivity was also highlighted, with examples of increased revenue in a Gucci call center. The discussions at the WEF emphasized the need for responsible and ethical AI development.

Arguments

Artificial Intelligence is limited in its current capacity, but can still offer significant productivity and benefits.

Supporting facts:

• AI’s potential uses include helping to brainstorm or assisting with code.

• People have found ways to gain value from AI despite its limitations.

• Waymo’s self-driving cars are loved in San Francisco and show the capabilities of AI in transportation.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Productivity

Artificial Intelligence is not reliable enough to be trusted in life-and-death situations, such as operating a car.

Supporting facts:

• AI models are sometimes right, creative, but also often totally wrong.

• The responsibility of driving a car requires perfect reliability, which AI currently cannot offer.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Safety

Humans are less forgiving of mistakes made by computers than by other humans

Supporting facts:

• People expect self-driving cars to be safer by a factor of 10-100 before they will accept it

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Trust in technology

AI and humans coexist and can both have unique roles

Supporting facts:

• Deep Blue defeating Kasparov in a chess game did not end the human interest in the game

• Humans are interested in what other humans do

Topics: AI, Human beings, Emotional Intelligence

Emotional connection is a unique human characteristic

Supporting facts:

• Sam Altman’s interest in knowing about the author after reading a book speaks toward an emotional connection

Topics: Emotional Intelligence, Empathy

AI is a powerful technology and its implications are uncertain

Supporting facts:

• This is a technology that is clearly very powerful, and that we cannot say with certainty exactly what’s going to happen

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Technological Advancement

Iterative deployment for AI will allow adequate time for societal institutions to debate, regulate and control its impact

Supporting facts:

• We believe in iterative deployment, so we put this technology out into the world along the way, so people get used to it, so we have time as a society. Our institutions have time to have these discussions, figure out how to regulate this

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Regulatory Policies, Technical Deployment

There has been significant advancements in aligning Artificial Intelligence to a set of values

Supporting facts:

• Progress made from GPT-3 to GPT-4 shows increased alignment to set values

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, AI Ethics

Defining the values, defaults and bounds for AI is a societal question

Supporting facts:

• There’s raised concern on how AI systems work in different countries and who gets to decide the values

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, AI Ethics, Governance

Current alignment techniques may not scale to more powerful systems

Supporting facts:

• Acknowledgement of the need to invent new approaches to handle more powerful AI systems

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, AI Ethics

Public fear and discourse on the downsides of AI technology are beneficial

Supporting facts:

• Discussion on safety standards and concern about powerful technologies in the hands of companies are considered good

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, AI Ethics, Public discourse

It’s important for technology developers to get societal input on AI development decisions

Supporting facts:

• Societal input required on safety thresholds and global coordination to ensure actions in one country doesn’t negatively impact another

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, AI Ethics, Public Participation

The future of AI is unpredictable

Supporting facts:

• Sam Altman has a sign above his desk that reads ‘no one knows what happens next’

• Referenced the unpredictability of AI in popular films such as War Games, Minority Report, etc.

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Future of AI, Uncertainty

OpenAI prioritizes displaying queried information over training the model on owned content

Supporting facts:

• OpenAI was in negotiations with The New York Times

• OpenAI is open to training on The New York Times’ content, but it is not their priority

Topics: OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence, The New York Times, AI Training

Models will be able to take smaller amounts of higher quality data during their training process and learn more

Supporting facts:

• You don’t need to read 2,000 biology textbooks to understand high school-level biology. Maybe you need to read one, maybe three. But that 2,000th and first is certainly not going to help you much

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Training

New economic models are needed that include content owners and those providing human feedback

Supporting facts:

• If you teach our models, if you help provide the human feedback, I’d love to find new models for you to get paid based off the success of that

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Economics

One must not neglect important but non-urgent problems

Supporting facts:

• He recounted an instance where the board too small and they didn’t have the level of experience needed were not addressed timely

Topics: Business Strategy, Leadership

The strength and resilience of a team is crucial

Supporting facts:

• After his firing, he saw that the executive team and the company as a whole functioned fine without him indicating a strong team he had put together

Topics: Teamwork, Leadership

Report

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to greatly enhance productivity and offer numerous benefits, despite its current limitations. It can assist in brainstorming and coding, providing valuable support in various tasks. AI’s capabilities are exemplified by Waymo’s self-driving cars, which have been embraced in San Francisco, demonstrating the potential of AI in transportation.

However, there are limitations to AI’s reliability, particularly in life-and-death situations such as operating a car. AI models can often be creative, but they can also be entirely wrong. The responsibility of driving a car requires perfect reliability, something that current AI technology cannot yet offer.

Contrary to previous beliefs, people have a deeper understanding of the tools and limitations of AI than may have been assumed. Most individuals have found ways to use AI appropriately and are aware of its limitations, refuting the notion that AI is misunderstood or overestimated.

AI and humans can coexist and possess distinct roles. The defeat of the human chess champion Garry Kasparov by IBM’s Deep Blue did not diminish human interest in the game. Humans are naturally curious about what other humans do, indicating that AI and human abilities can complement each other.

Furthermore, AI’s potential does not eliminate human roles; rather, it transforms them into higher levels of abstraction. For example, individuals like Sam Altman, the president of OpenAI, focus on making decisions and coordinating with people rather than being AI researchers.

Human expertise in understanding human desires and intentions remains crucial in many roles, and the use of AI can enhance human capabilities. Emotional connection is a distinguishing human characteristic that AI cannot replicate. Altman’s interest in knowing more about an author after reading their book is evidence of the emotional connection that humans seek and appreciate.

This emotional connection is unique to humans and cannot be fully replicated by AI. The future implications of AI are uncertain and unpredictable. Altman acknowledges the power of AI as a transformative technology, but its impact cannot be definitively predicted.

Popular films, such as “War Games” and “Minority Report,” explore the unpredictability and consequences of AI, highlighting the need for vigilance and preparedness as we navigate the future of AI. Ensuring the ethical development and deployment of AI is a crucial consideration.

Progress has been made in aligning AI systems with a set of values, enabling AI to better adhere to ethical principles. However, defining values, defaults, and boundaries for AI is a societal question that requires extensive discussion and consideration. Societal input is vital in AI development decisions.

OpenAI recognizes the importance of gathering input from society regarding safety thresholds, global coordination, and potential negative impacts on other countries. This involvement allows technology developers to make informed decisions that consider the broader societal implications of AI. Furthermore, it is essential to adapt towards iterative deployment of AI systems.

This approach allows sufficient time for debate, regulation, and control over AI’s impact. It provides room for discussion among institutions and ensures that the risks and benefits of AI are adequately addressed before widespread deployment. While there are valid concerns about the potential risks of AI, Altman does not completely dismiss Elon Musk or Bill Gates’ concerns.

He acknowledges that AI is a powerful technology, and there is a need for caution and vigilance to prevent unintended negative consequences. In conclusion, AI has the potential to enhance productivity and provide significant benefits. While it has some limitations, people have a better understanding of AI’s tools and limitations than previously thought.

AI and humans can coexist, each fulfilling unique roles. The future of AI is uncertain, necessitating careful consideration of its implications. Ethical development, societal input, and iterative deployment are crucial for responsible AI implementation.