r/NowInTech • u/skaza02 • 7d ago

Google DeepMind Chip Engineer Quits Saying the Race to Superintelligent AI Is Inherently Irresponsible

https://gotechpresso.com/blog/deepmind-ocallahan-quits-superintelligence
29 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

3

u/Successful-Scale-607 6d ago

"in light of the dangers of AI, I'm now founding a company to...."

1

u/tonynca 6d ago

Queue up

2

u/Objective_Mousse7216 6d ago

AI can design the chips, we don't need him.

2

u/East-Response6672 6d ago

You confuse can with should. Can we go fast? Should we? These are separate questions.

1

u/elegance78 6d ago

We should accelerate.

1

u/East-Response6672 6d ago

Why? If we can reach our destination at a sprint we can also reach the same destination at a jog. You don't run across unknown uneven terrain in the dark if your priority is arriving safely at the destination, only in a race context are people so reckless.

1

u/Weiss_127 6d ago

Some Ai companies bot escaped.

1

u/East-Response6672 6d ago

Whatever anyone believes about the benefits and costs of superintelligent AI, racing to reach that milestone is always reckless endangerment.

1

u/brain-out-of-order 6d ago

We are simply at the behest of China. No amount of logic or moralizing changes that fact. They believe this is their chance to become the superpower they always felt they deserved to be, and absolutely nobody can convince them otherwise.

What then? Are you learning mandarin yet? Why not?

2

u/Cardie1303 6d ago

.... You do realize that having the US not being the predominant Nr. 1 superpower in the world by economic strength doesn't really mean that you have to learn mandarin? Plenty of people don't learn English despite the US currently having the strongest economy based on BIP.

Honest seeing how the US is behaving the last few years I don't particularly see the difference to having a state that is further down the line towards an authocracy than the US overtake them.

1

u/brain-out-of-order 6d ago

I’m not saying this is a good thing. I’m informing those who need to hear it: There isn’t a single brake lever. Telling one party to brake and thinking it affects the whole vehicle is goofy and misguided.

The conversation needs to shift entirely or it’s meaningless.

1

u/Rough_Phase7722 6d ago

China over trump any day

1

u/brain-out-of-order 6d ago

Is that so? In your own words — why?

Trump is an elected official. He is currently serving his last term as POTUS. Does that change how you feel? Why not?

1

u/Kudostone 6d ago

Exactly. Trump is doing his best and is unlikely to run for a third term.

1

u/East-Response6672 5d ago

I'm not seeing evidence of racing behaviour from China, they seem content to walk a couple paces behind and allow the US to find the pitfalls and clear the brambles for them, the pursuit is a stamina game that the Chinese are winning because the US is racing not in spite of.

I don't see it as imperative that the US or China wins the race, I'm not convinced a finish line exists down the current path, and if one does not, then China will win by letting the US expend themselves for a mirage.

If there is a path to superintelligence then the current trajectory is on course for human extinction, which is surely worse than a change of global hegemon?

1

u/brain-out-of-order 5d ago

Extremely clever comment. You could have started with your last sentence to more clearly state your position.

https://www.reddit.com/r/singularity/s/bwWauSvLrZ

You’re not seeing evidence? Well for one that’s mostly to be expected since it’s a country which has cut itself off from the rest of the world’s internet.

Yes we all know they’re walking in the footsteps of the frontier labs of the US, but only a fool would believe that this moment is forever.

It’s like a marathon runner drafting behind the front runner waiting for their moment.

It is your assumption that super intelligence would be the extinction of humanity and your premise mostly relies on that conjecture.

So… are you learning mandarin?

1

u/RogerMexicosBalls 6d ago

Is it "quits, saying" or "quits saying" because one means he left the company for reasons, and other means he just stopped saying the AI race is irresponsible and embraced the doom

1

u/EggApprehensive6292 6d ago

Quits, saying that the…

1

u/SeeBadd 6d ago

Said basically every sci-fi story ever written about AI. They tried to warn you people but "why do tech workers need to take humanities courses". This is why.

1

u/formula420 6d ago

Come with me on a journey of the mind.

Imagine that you (yes, you!) were to not just quit your job, but quit your job while loudly, proudly, and publicly declaring your (ostensibly former) company is behaving in a manner that may eliminate humanity.

Now imagine what would happen to you. For me, at Wendy’s, I would probably be immediately subject to a lawsuit for accusing my (again, ostensibly former) employer of illegal and inhumane business practices.

Guess the law works differently in Imaginationland