Internet users are increasingly turning to chatbots to verify images in real time, but the tools often fail. Photo: Picture-Alliance via AFP
A leading Oxford University scholar is warning that intense commercial pressure could lead to a major AI disaster, potentially derailing the industry’s future. In his recent Royal Society lecture, 'This Is Not the AI We Were Promised,' Professor Michael Wooldridge makes the case that high-stakes failures, such as a lethal software update for autonomous vehicles or an AI-driven breach of airline systems, could permanently damage public trust and stifle interest in the technology.
And it's his prediction one of these is going to happen, because of the commercial rush to get AI products to market. He says while AI has proven remarkable in its growth, its learning from probabilities makes it prone to swinging from highly accurate to completely fabricated in its answers.
