AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio warns against letting Big Tech control rules

AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio has warned against allowing a few big tech companies to dictate AI rules, emphasising the need for fair and balanced regulations.

AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio warns against big tech dominance in AI rules. (REUTERS)

In the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), there's a big problem that we should pay attention to, says one of the godfathers of AI. A respected figure in the field, Yoshua Bengio, is concerned about the growing power of a few big companies in AI. He's worried that these companies might have too much control over AI technology. He even thinks it's one of the main problems we face when it comes to AI.

The Concentration of Power in AI

Bengio, who has won a prestigious Turing Award for his work in AI, recently talked to Insider about his concerns. He said, "We are making more and more powerful AI systems, and the big question for democracy is who gets to control these systems? Is there a risk that only a few companies will have all the power?" It's an important question that has been on his mind for years, but recent developments, like the emergence of systems like ChatGPT, have made him even more worried about this issue.

Tech Leaders' Influence on AI Rules

Yann LeCun, another important figure in AI, has raised similar concerns. He suggested that influential tech leaders like Sam Altman from OpenAI are trying to control AI by pushing for stricter rules and regulations. However, Bengio doesn't agree with this idea. He doesn't think these tech leaders are trying to take over the AI industry.

Bengio believes that it's clear we should not let the big companies write the rules for AI. But he disagrees with the notion that these companies are trying to manipulate the rules in their favor. He thinks that the rules and regulations, as they are currently being discussed, won't necessarily benefit the big tech companies.

According to Bengio, the proposed regulations are aimed at making sure the big AI systems built by these large companies are closely watched and regulated. This means that the big companies will face more scrutiny and higher costs. However, smaller players who work on more specialised AI or create applications using the big AI systems won't be under the same strict regulations.

In short, Bengio wants to make sure that the AI rules are fair and not controlled by just a few big companies. He believes that regulations should ensure that the powerful AI systems are monitored closely. This way, everyone can benefit from AI technology without worrying about it being controlled by a select few.