An open letter from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is calling for the government and tech sector to see AI as a “force for good”.
The letter, signed by more than 1,300 experts, says it doesn’t want recent developments in AI to be seen as an “existential threat to humanity” and that it won’t turn into “The Terminator”.
“The public need confidence that the experts not only know how to create and use AI but how to use it responsibly,” said Rashik Parmar MBE, CEO of BCS.
“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.”
Signatories of the BCS AI open letter include Stemettes CEO Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, entrepreneur Sir Ken Olisa, and Professor Luciano Floridi from the University of Oxford.
Parmar added: “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.”
The open letter follows warnings from other experts that AI poses a genuine risk of human “extinction” and risks should be mitigated in a similar way to nuclear war and pandemics.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he wants the UK to lead on AI regulation, and plans to host the first global AI safety summit in the autumn.
The government published a white paper on AI regulation earlier this year, but it has been called “inadequate” by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and insufficient by Labour MP Darren Jones.