The human AI future

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be the key to creating a more human future, according to one of the technology’s pioneers. The rapid adoption of AI has led to concerns about people being replaced as it becomes more advanced and automation also increases. But internet entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, co-founder of social media platform LinkedIn, argues that we need to embrace AI to “shape a humanist future”.

In his new book, Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future, he explains how it could be used “inclusively and adaptively to improve our lives and create positive change”.

The book, co-written with Greg Beato, looks at possible benefits such as personalised AI tutors for children and the rapid discovery of cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Hoffman, who was one of the first donors to research organisation OpenAI, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “One of the problems with the general discourse around AI, where you’re AI fearful and AI sceptical, is that you can work on trying to avoid bad futures, but that doesn’t get you to the good future. The good future is imagining what could possibly go right and steering towards it. Exploring that and thinking about that is ultimately how we create our more human future.”

Hoffman also rejected claims that the collaboration around AI development should be slowed down. He added: “If you say, ‘I’m concerned about human welfare so I’m going to slow down’, then the people who aren’t concerned about human welfare won’t slow down, so you have a more dystopic outcome. Given that we have lots of different people, companies and countries building AI, you want to shape that AI to being a very humanist future.”