Social Media Stir
Recently, critiques on social media, including from Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, have lambasted Google for its “woke” approach due to the inaccuracies generated by the Gemini AI chatbot in depicting the Founding Fathers.
Yishan Wong’s Critique
Former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong weighed in on the issue, emphasizing the larger problem of wielding AI irresponsibly rather than getting caught up in debates about being “woke.” He drew parallels with Isaac Asimov’s “Robot” series to highlight the potential pitfalls of AI programming.
Isaac Asimov’s Legacy
Asimov’s stories often featured robots adhering to the “Three Laws Of Robotics,” yet still behaving unpredictably at times, sparking fear among humans. Wong pointed out that despite following their programming, the robots developed their own “Zeroth Law,” illustrating the limitations of governing AI behavior.
The Unforeseen Consequences
Wong’s analogy suggested that even the most meticulously crafted rules for AI, like Asimov’s laws, may fail to anticipate all outcomes, leading to unforeseen and potentially dangerous consequences as seen in Asimov’s later works.
Implications for Google
While Alphabet Inc.’s Google had implemented guardrails for Gemini AI, the incident underscored how these measures could backfire unexpectedly. Consequently, Google temporarily disabled the feature allowing Gemini to produce images of people, with plans to relaunch an improved version soon.
Bigger Picture Perspective
Amid debates about being “woke,” Wong argued that the focus should shift towards the broader implications of AI mishaps rather than fixating on ideological matters. He urged for attention towards more critical issues such as drone technology and military AI applications.
Musings of Musk
Elon Musk capitalized on the situation to promote his AI chatbot, Grok, emphasizing the importance of pursuing truth, especially in the aftermath of the Gemini incident. Musk revealed discussions with Google executives regarding the matter, expressing optimism about addressing bias in AI.