Henry Kissinger, former top diplomat and renowned statesman, has expressed his concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) becoming the “biggest challenge of our times.” In a conversation with Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, Kissinger stated that machines could potentially replace humans within the next five years.
The discussion between Kissinger and Döpfner was published by Welt TV, a media outlet affiliated with Germany’s Die Welt newspaper. Axel Springer, the parent company of Insider and Die Welt, is prominently involved in the dissemination of this information.
Kissinger’s apprehensions about AI stem from the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022. The development of AI technology has raised concerns about its potential to replace humans in various job sectors, particularly white-collar positions. Tech jobs, coders, computer programmers, software engineers, data analysts, as well as roles in media, law, market research analysis, education, trade, graphic design, accounting, and customer service are perceived to be at high risk of being replaced by AI.
At the age of 100, Kissinger worries that AI could become so powerful that it leads to a scenario where humans serve machines rather than the other way around. He believes that understanding the essence of AI intelligence, including its ability to generate its own point of view, is essential to avoid this outcome.
Kissinger has co-authored a book titled “The Age of AI and Our Human Future” with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and computer scientist Daniel Huttenlocher. The book explores how AI might transform our relationships with knowledge, politics, and society. Additionally, Kissinger is currently working on a second book that further delves into the topic of AI.
The question of whether AI will replace humans is considered the “question of our lifetime” by Kissinger. He emphasizes that it is in the interest of all countries, including China and other advanced nations, to understand and participate in the development of AI. Otherwise, they risk being at the mercy of machinery that they do not comprehend.
Kissinger’s primary concern lies with generative AI, which refers to algorithms like ChatGPT that can generate content based on simple prompts and context. He highlights the significance of the process by which generative AI acquires and generates knowledge. Kissinger predicts that once machines are capable of communicating with each other, which he believes will happen within five years, the competition between humans and AI will pose a challenge to human individuality.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Kissinger has initiated efforts to bring together well-intentioned scientists to advance the causes of freedom and coexistence in the world. He emphasizes that action must be taken, as the understanding of artificial intelligence is still incomplete.
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