Tech

Examining AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton’s fears about AI

Published

1 year ago

May 4, 2023

When prominent computer scientist and Turing Award winner Geoffrey Hinton retired from Google due to what he said are his concerns that AI technology is becoming out of control and a danger to humans, it triggered a frenzy in the tech world.

Hinton, who worked part-time at Google for more than a decade, is known as the “godfather of AI.” The AI pioneer has made major contributions to the development of machine learning, deep learning, and the backpropagation technique, a process for training artificial neural networks.

In his own words

While Hinton attributed part of his decision to retire on May 1 to his age, the 75-year-old also said he regrets some of his contributions to artificial intelligence.

During a question-and-answer session at MIT Technology Review’s EmTech Digital 2023 conference on May 3, Hinton said he has changed his mind about how AI technology works. He said he now believes that AI systems can be much more intelligent than humans and are better learners.

“Things like GPT-4 know much more than we do,” Hinton said, referring to the latest iteration of research lab OpenAI’s large language model. “They have sort of common sense knowledge about everything.”

The more technology learns about humans, the better it will get at manipulating humans, he said.

Hinton’s concerns about the risks of AI technology are analogous to those of other AI leaders who recently called for a pause in the development of AI.

While the computer scientist does not think a pause is possible, he said the risks of AI technology and its misuse by criminals and other wrongdoers — particularly those who would use it for harmful political ends — can become a danger to society.

“What we want is some way of making sure that even if they’re smarter than us, they’re going to do things that are beneficial for us,” Hinton said. “We need to try and do that in a world with bad actors who want to build robot soldiers that kill people.”

AI race and need for regulation

While Hinton clarified that his decision to leave Google was not because of any specific irresponsibility on the part of the tech giant about AI technology, the computer scientist joins a group of notable Google employees to sound the alarm about AI technology.

Last year, ex-Google engineer Blake Lemoine claimed the vendor’s AI chatbot LaMDA is aware and can hold spontaneous conversations and have human feelings. Lemoine also said that Google acted with caution and slowed down development after he provided it with his data.

Even if some consider that Google has been suitably responsible in its AI efforts, the pace at which major tech vendors, particularly Google archrival Microsoft, have introduced new AI systems (from integrating ChatGPT into the Azure and office applications) has spurred Google to scramble faster in what has become a frantic AI race.

However, the frenetic pace at which both Google and Microsoft are moving may be too fast to assure enterprise and consumer users of AI technology that the AI innovations are safe and ready to use effectively.

“They’re putting things out at a rapid pace without enough testing,” said Chirag Shah, a professor in the information school at the University of Washington. “We have no regulations. We have no checkpoints. We have nothing that can stop them from doing this.”

But the federal government has taken note of problems with AI and generative AI technology.

On May 4, the Biden administration invited CEOs from AI vendors Microsoft, Alphabet, OpenAI and Anthropic to discuss the importance of responsible and trustworthy innovation.

The administration also said that developers from leading AI companies, including Nvidia, Stability AI and Hugging Face will participate in public evaluations of the AI systems.

But the near total lack of checkpoints and regulation makes the technology risky, especially as generative AI is a self-learning system, Shah said.

Unregulated and unrestrained generative AI systems could lead to disaster, primarily when people with unscrupulous political intentions or criminal hackers misuse the technology.

“These things are so quickly getting out of our hands that it’s a matter of time before either it’s bad actors doing things or this technology itself, doing things on its own that we cannot stop,” Shah said. For example, bad actors could use generative AI for fraud or even to try to trigger terrorist attacks, or to try to perpetuate and instill biases.

However, as with many technologies, regulation follows when there’s mass adoption, said Usama Fayyad, professor and executive director at the Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University.

And while ChatGPT has attracted more than 100 million since OpenAI released it last November, most of those users are using it only occasionally, and not relying on it on a daily basis like they do with other popular AI tools such as Google Maps or Translate, Fayyad said.

“You can’t do regulation ahead of understanding the technology,” he continued. Because regulators still don’t fully understand the technology, they are not yet able to regulate it.

“Just like with cars, and with guns and with many other things, [regulation] lagged for a long time,” Fayyad said. “The more important the technology becomes, the more likely it is that we will have regulation in place.”

Therefore, regulation will likely come when AI technology becomes embedded into every application and help most knowledge workers do their jobs faster, Fayyad said.

AI tech’s intelligence

Fayyad added just because it “thinks” quickly doesn’t mean AI technology will be more intelligent than humans.

“We think that only intelligent humans can sound eloquent and can sound fluent,” Fayyad added. “We mistake fluency and eloquence with intelligence.”

Because large language models follow stochastic patterns (meaning they follow common practices but also include a bit of randomization), they’re programmed to tell a story, meaning they may end up telling the wrong story. In addition, their nature is to want to sound smart, which can make humans see them as more intelligent than they really are, Fayyad said.

Moreover, the fact that machines are good at discrete tasks doesn’t mean they’re smarter than humans, said Sarah Kreps, John L. Wetherill Professor in the department of government and an adjunct law professor at Cornell University.

“Where humans excel is on more complex tasks that combine multiple cognitive processes that also entail empathy, adaptation and intuition,” Krepps said. “It’s hard to program a machine to do these things, and that’s what’s behind the elusive artificial general intelligence (AGI).”

AGI is software (that still does not formally exist) that possesses the general cognitive abilities of a human, which would theoretically enable it to perform any task that a human can do.

Next steps

For his part, Hinton has claimed that he’s bringing the problem to the forefront to try to spur people find effective ways to confront the risks of AI.

Meanwhile, Krepps said Hinton’s decision to speak up now, decades after first working on the technology, could seem hypocritical.

“He, of all people, should have seen where the technology was going and how quickly,” she said.

On the other hand, she added that Hinton’s position may make people more cautious about AI technology.

The ability to use AI for good requires that users are transparent and accountable, Shah said. “There will also need to be consequences for people who misuse it,” he said.

“We have to figure out an accountability framework,” he said. “There’s still going to be harm. But if we can control a lot of it, we can mitigate some of the problems much better than we are able to do right now.”

For Hinton, the best thing might be to help the next generation try use AI technology responsibly.

“What people like Hinton can do is help create a set of norms around the appropriate use of these technologies,” Kreps said. “Norms won’t preclude misuse but can stigmatize it and contribute to the guardrails that can mitigate the risks of AI.”

Esther Ajao is a news writer covering artificial intelligence software and systems.

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The Internet is Littered in ‘Educated Guesses’ Without the ‘Education’

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2024

Nick Kossovan

Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.

The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.

Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.

The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.

Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.

On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.

The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.

More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.

Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:

You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!

Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.

Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.

There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.

Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.

Successful people tend to be secretive.

Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.

Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.

Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.

______________________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s

on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.

Tech

Tight deadlines on software projects can put safety at risk: survey

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.

Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.

The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.

The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.

The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.

Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.

“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.

The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.

“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”

The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.

However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.

That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.

“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.

“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”

The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.

About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.

“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.

Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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Tech

Beware of scams during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sales event: cybersecurity firm

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.

In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.

The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”

“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.

“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”

Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.

Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.

In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.

The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.

Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.

“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.

“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.

Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.

Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.

“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.

“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”

Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.

As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.

But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.

Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.

The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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