Several current and former employees of OpenAI and Google DeepMind today shared an open letter warning of the dangers of advanced AI and the current lack of oversight of companies working on AI technology.
The employees suggest there are a number of risks that we are facing from AI development, including further entrenchment of existing inequalities, manipulation and misinformation, and loss of control of autonomous AI systems, which the letter says could lead to human extinction.
AI companies have “strong financial incentives” to forge ahead with development and to avoid sharing information about their protective measures and risk levels. “We do not think they can all be relied upon to share it voluntarily,” reads the letter, which says that it is up to current and former employees to speak out.
So long as there is no effective government oversight of these corporations, current and former employees are among the few people who can hold them accountable to the public. Yet broad confidentiality agreements block us from voicing our concerns, except to the very companies that may be failing to address these issues. Ordinary whistleblower protections are insufficient because they focus on illegal activity, whereas many of the risks we are concerned about are not yet regulated.
Employees are ultimately calling on AI companies to offer solid whistleblower protections for speaking out about the risks of AI.
- Avoid creating or enforcing agreements that prevent criticism for risk-related concerns.
- Offer a verifiably anonymous process for employees to raise risk-related concerns to the board, regulators, and independent organizations with relevant expertise.
- Support a culture of open criticism to allow employees to raise risk-related concerns about technologies to the public, the board, regulators, and more, as long as trade secrets are protected.
- Avoid retaliating against employees who publicly share risk-related confidential information after other processes have failed.
A total of 13 employees signed the letter, including seven former OpenAI employees, four current OpenAI employees, one former Google DeepMind employee, and one current Google DeepMind employee. OpenAI has threatened employees with loss of vested equity for speaking up, and it makes them sign draconian NDA agreements that muzzle criticism.
The letter comes as Apple prepares to announce multiple AI-powered features for iOS 18 and other software updates on Monday. Apple is working on its own AI functionality that will be baked into apps across the operating system, plus it has signed a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT features into iOS 18.
Popular Stories
Gurman: No Hardware at WWDC, Next Apple TV No Longer Coming Soon
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman does not expect Apple to announce any new hardware during its WWDC 2024 keynote on June 10. “There’s no hardware slated to be announced at WWDC, unless Apple unexpectedly previews a new device launching later (to be clear: I don’t expect that),” said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. Notably, Gurman now says a new Apple TV model “isn’t imminent,” despite…
Sonos Ace Headphones vs. AirPods Max
Sonos in May decided to get into the headphone market with the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones. The $449 Sonos Ace headphones have some enticing design elements and features you won’t see in Apple’s headphones, so we thought we’d compare them to the $549 AirPods Max to see which is ultimately better. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. In terms of design, both the…
Exclusive: iOS 18 to Add Text Effects to iMessage
Apple plans to add a new text effects feature to the Messages app on iOS 18, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. While it is already possible to send iMessages with bubble effects or full-screen effects, such as invisible ink or confetti, the text effects would allow you to animate individual words within a message. With the Messages app set to gain RCS support on iOS 18, …
Best Buy and Amazon Introduce Steep Discounts on M2 and M3 MacBook Air [Updated]
Best Buy has a huge collection of discounts on Apple’s MacBook Air this weekend, including both the previous generation M2 models from 2022 and the brand new M3 computers that launched this year. In regards to the M2 models, you’ll find the best deals at Amazon. M2 MacBook Air Amazon today has every model of the 2022 13-inch MacBook Air available for $170 off, representing new all-time low…
iPhone 16 Pro Could Break Record for Thinnest Bezels on a Smartphone
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the screen border thinness of even its latest iPhone 15 Pro devices. That’s according to the leaker known as “Ice Universe,” who has divulged accurate information about Apple’s plans in the past. According to multiple sources, despite minimal design changes, both iPhone 16 Pro models will increase…
