Emad Mostaque, founder of Stability AI, predicts AI will surpass humans in many roles. His company developed Stable Diffusion, a tool that creates images from text using AI.
AI allows computers to act like humans, including machine learning where they learn without specific human instructions. Recently, 1,000 experts urged a halt in AI development, citing uncontrolled risks.
In an interview, Mostaque discusses potential dangers of highly automated AI systems. He fears they could control humanity in a worst-case scenario.
He’s not alone in this concern, as creating smarter computers than ourselves carries unknown risks.
Mostaque believes a significant event will prompt government action on AI policy. He compares it to the impact of Tom Hanks’ Covid-19 diagnosis on public awareness.
A fake AI-generated attack ad on Jo Biden has already raised alarms about voter misinformation.
Despite risks, Mostaque sees immense benefits of AI in various life aspects. He admits job impacts could be harsh initially. He predicts AI’s economic impact will surpass the pandemic’s.
He believes AI could lead to job losses, citing Goldman Sachs’ projection of 300 million affected roles.
Mostaque hopes productivity gains from AI will create better jobs. He agrees with Sir Patrick Vallance that AI’s impact could exceed the industrial revolution.
Mostaque, a mathematician, started Stability AI in 2020. It’s now valued at $1 billion, with potential to reach $4 billion. Investors include Ashton Kutcher. He insists on keeping his technology open source for public trust.
His approach invites criticism and praise in equal measure. However, his company faces legal challenges from Getty Images over image rights. Mostaque questions the boundaries of such rights in the context of AI.
He believes AI’s impact will be massive, predicting his company, along with ChatGPT and DeepMind, will outgrow Google and Facebook in a decade.
While technology predictions are uncertain, it’s clear that public dialogue on AI risks and realities is essential. We might face rapid, sweeping changes, unlike the gradual adoption of past innovations like the steam engine.
These changes promise to be anything but boring!
