More than 1,370 industry experts have signed an open letter to the UK Government to realise the vast benefits of AI instead of viewing the technology as a global danger.
Organised and published by the BCS, the open letter calls on the government and industry to view AI as a ‘transformational force for good, not an existential threat to humanity’.
BCS argue that the benefits of AI can be leveraged to enhance every aspect of life as long as its creators share global professional and technological standards.
Signatories of the letter come from a wide range of backgrounds, such as academia, industry, health, and professional bodies, in a bid to end ‘AI doom’.
Notable supporters of the letter include:
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, CEO of Stemettes;
- Sir Ken Olisa OBE;
- Professor Luciano Floridi of the Oxford Internet Institute
- Professor Danielle George MBE, University of Manchester;
- Max Bramer, Emeritus Professor of IT, University of Portsmouth;
- Polly Curtis, CEO of Demos;
- Andrew Simpson, Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine; and
- Professor Raphael Hirshi, Director of the Digital Society Institute, Keele University.
What is the letter calling for?
The BCS letter reads that AI is not an existential threat to humanity but is instead a transformative force for good as long as the correct decisions on its development and implementation are made.
It believes the UK can reap the benefits of AI and pioneer professional and technical standards in AI roles, which could be supported by a robust code of conduct, international collaboration and fully resourced regulation.
By following these steps, the BCS is confident that the UK can become a worldwide leader in high-quality, ethical, inclusive AI.
Rashik Parmar MBE, CEO of BCS, explained: “The technologists and leaders who signed our statement believe AI won’t grow up like The Terminator but instead as a trusted co-pilot in learning, work, healthcare, entertainment.
“One way of achieving that is for AI to be created and managed by licensed and ethical professionals meeting standards that are recognised across international borders.
“The public need confidence that the experts not only know how to create and use AI but how to use it responsibly. Yes, AI is a journey with no return ticket, but this letter shows the tech community doesn’t believe it ends with the nightmare scenario of evil robot overlords.”
The letter arrives at a pertinent time, as the UK is set to host the first global summit on AI safety in the autumn, with the UK’s AI industry recently estimated to boost the economy by £400bn by 2030.
BCS condemns damaging AI claims
Although the benefits of AI, such as automating time-consuming tasks, can improve daily life by increasing productivity, some experts are warning about the potential threat of AI, such as replacing jobs.
A recent letter from the Centre for AI Safety said that ‘mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority’. Moreover, Elon Musk signed another letter earlier this year calling for a ‘pause’ on AI development.
The BCS claimed this was unrealistic and played into the hands of bad actors.
