Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, visited Surrey University last Thursday with the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee as part of their investigation into the governance and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI).
As a member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee in Parliament, Stephen visited the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI in Guildford to hear about how academics were focussed on leveraging the opportunities of AI in a way that enhances human society.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently become very visible – ChatGPT4 has passed the American Bar Exam with a score in the 90th percentile and AI-generated images of the Pope in a white puffer jacket have appeared on social media. The rapid development of AI in recent months has led to questions about its potential to radically change human life.
Elon Musk has called for a pause on all big AI experiments and AI training systems more powerful than ChatGPT4 for six months in a letter from the ‘Future of Human Life Institute.’ Moreover, Geoffrey Hinton recently resigned from Google’s AI division to warn about the dangers of an AI system that could surpass human intelligence. Dr Hinton regretted some of the advancements in AI that could be used by bad actors in a ‘kind of nightmare scenario.’
Therefore, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s enquiry, which will extend into the Summer, comes at a pivotal moment in the development of AI.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “Many thanks to Surrey University and its Institute for People-Centred AI for their very valuable insights on AI.
There are many ways in which AI could change society – from domination and replacement to enhancement and augmentation. However, Surrey University is absolutely correct that we have to ensure that AI enhances human life.
The Committee’s enquiry into AI governance is covering every aspect of the development and deployment of AI and I look forward to working further on this over the coming months.”
