AI to match human intelligence in next 50 years: Expert

Untangling the ethics of machine accountability will be the second fundamental shift in the world as we know it.

The researcher argues that we should be more sceptical about how data is misused by tech companies. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In less than 50 years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will match humans on traits like adaptability, creativity and emotional intelligence, an expert has predicted.

Speaking at the "Festival of Dangerous Ideas" at University of New South Wales in Sydney on Sunday, Professor Toby Walsh said AI will match human intelligence by 2062.

"Toby Walsh, Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW Sydney, has put a date on this looming reality.

"He considers 2062 the year that artificial intelligence will match human intelligence, although a fundamental shift has already occurred in the world as we know it," the university said in a statement.

Walsh argued that we are already experiencing the risks of AI that seem to be so far in the future.

"Even without machines that are very smart, I'm starting to get a little bit nervous about where it's going and the important choices we should be making", said Walsh who has written a book "2062: The World that AI Made".

The key challenge, according to him, will be to avoid the apocalyptic rhetoric of AI and to determine how to move forward in the new age of information. Privacy concerns about the collection of personal data is nothing new.

Citing the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Walsh argues that we should be more sceptical about how data is misused by tech companies.

"A lot of the debate has focused on how personal information was stolen from people, and we should be rightly outraged by that," Walsh told the audience.

"Many of us have smartwatches that are monitoring our vital signs; our blood pressure, our heartbeat, and if you look at the terms of service, you don't own that data," Walsh explained.

"You can lie about your digital preferences, but you can't lie about your heartbeat," he noted.

Untangling the ethics of machine accountability will be the second fundamental shift in the world as we know it.

"Fully autonomous machines will radically change the nature of warfare and will be the third revolution in warfare," Walsh said.

Walsh believes the issue is creating machines that are aligned with human values, which is currently a problem on other platforms driven by Artificial Intelligence.

"Facebook is an example of the alignment problem, it is optimised for your attention, not for creating political debate or for making society a better place," Walsh said.