Tech expert fears the world won’t ‘have time’ to prepare for safety risks posed by AI

AI expert David Dalrymple is concerned that the world is unprepared for the safety risks posed by the rapidly advancing technology.

An expert has warned that the world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI).

David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the UK Government’s Aria agency, believes that people should be alarmed about the technology’s expanding capabilities.

He told The Guardian: “I think we should be concerned about systems that can perform all of the functions that humans perform to get things done in the world, but better.

“Because we will be outcompeted in all of the domains that we need to be dominant in, in order to maintain control of our civilisation, society and planet.”

Dalrymple feels that there is a gap in understanding between the public sector and AI companies about the extent of looming breakthroughs in the technology.

He said: “I would advise that things are moving really fast and we may not have time to get ahead of it from a safety perspective.

“And it’s not science fiction to project that within five years most economically valuable tasks will be performed by machines at a higher level of quality and lower cost than by humans.”

The expert urged governments around the world not just to assume that advanced AI systems are reliable.

He said: “We can’t assume these systems are reliable. The science to do that is just not likely to materialise in time given the economic pressure. So the next best thing that we can do, which we may be able to do in time, is to control and mitigate the downsides.”

Dalrymple is fearful of the consequences of technological progress getting ahead of safety and believes it may lead to a “destabilisation of security and economy”.

He explained: “Progress can be framed as destabilising and it could actually be good, which is what a lot of people at the frontier are hoping. I am working to try to make things go better but it’s very high risk and human civilisation is on the whole sleepwalking into this transition.”