Radio interview on AI

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of participating in the Argentinian radio program “Piloto de Prueba”, translated as “Test Pilot”, in the radio station of Universidad Nacional de La Plata—my alma mater. I don’t make a habit of being in public media, so this was an enriching experience. The interview focused on analyzing recent news on AI, particularly about the tempatively imminent dangers of this technology.

My opinion, in general, is less apocalyptic than what’s been published on mainstream media. Some comments projecting numbers, such as ten percent of the global population getting killed due to the misuse of AI, are irresponsible. They do not have a scientific base. This sensationalism causes the average citizen, the one for which computers internals are a mystery, to get unnecessarily alarmed. This doesn’t mean that we need to take a passive attitude towards this technology; equally to every disruptive innovation, we need to learn how to channel it for the betterment of society while taking sufficient precautions against its dangers.

In the interview, I also criticize as impracticable the idea of slowing down AI research. It’s intention is noble, but companies do not have enough incentive to implement it. If they stop or slow down their development due to regulations, there’s no guarantee that another company, in another part of the world where those regulations don’t reach, will not take the lead to achieve a competitive advantage. Instead of slowing down, I think we should invest that energy in speeding up the research on precautions and protections against eventual incidents; both accidental and intentional.

Without further ado, here’s the interview. It’s in Spanish.