AI pioneer Martha Palmer calls for global regulation and oversight
An expert warns of the potential existential risks of autonomous systems, emphasizing that world leaders must take immediate action.
Professor Martha Palmer, a veteran researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, is demanding urgent global measures against the existential risks posed by unregulated AI.
A long-standing career in artificial intelligence
Martha Palmer took her first artificial intelligence class as an undergraduate at the University of Texas in 1973 and has worked as a researcher, teacher, and developer in the field throughout her career. Holding the distinction of being the first woman to earn a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Edinburgh, Palmer is a professor emerita at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Warnings from the United Nations panel
Palmer is one of two US scientists serving on the United Nations Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. The panel shared its preliminary report on the risks and opportunities of AI with the public on July 1st.
The published report emphasized that world leaders must urgently implement protective guardrails while drawing attention to the possibility of autonomous agents getting out of control.
Autonomous systems and the danger of malicious use
Among the risks highlighted in the panel's report are recursive self-improvement processes and the use of advanced AI by malicious actors to carry out cyberattacks or hack infrastructure.
It is stated that profit-driven companies should not be expected to regulate themselves in the race for public offerings, and that international discussions are of vital importance.