AI Safety: A Poisoned Chalice?

Abstract

We hear a lot about the awesome potential of AI—the achievements of reinforcement learning, the astonishing power of foundation models and generative AI. Amplifying the hype, AI Safety has emerged as its counterpoint. AI Safety, when I first encountered it, brought to mind autonomous vehicle crashes, nuclear meltdowns, killer drones, and robots-gone-haywire. Nowadays, I see a different, more aggressive intention as AI Safety has come to dominate the public agenda around AI, beyond the purely technical and economic.