‘Godfather of AI’ says tech regulation is nearing Covid-style pivot moment
Published
What's this about?
Safety crisis makes it more likely that governments will be spurred into action, says Yoshua Bengio Concerns over AI safety are reaching a point where governments realise they must act to protect the public, similarly to in the Covid pandemic, according to one of the “godfathers” of the technology.
The one-panel cartoon
Read the cartoon's script
A crowded hospital emergency room with doctors and nurses overwhelmed by a surge of patients holding smartphones and tablets, screens showing distorted digital faces and data streams.
Caption: AI safety crisis has arrived - now for the ventilators.
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on theguardian.com.
Editor's note
This editorial note emphasizes how the current concerns over AI safety have reached a critical juncture, where the urgency mirrors the response to the pandemic, making a regulatory pivot moment more plausible as governments recognize the need to act swiftly to protect public interests.
Rate this comic
Read the script
Panel 1
*Alex, standing in his cluttered lab filled with prototypes and circuit boards, is tinkering with a robot. Sam is leaning against a wall, arms crossed, with a bemused look.*
Alex: With AI safety becoming a priority, we can finally get regulations that protect innovation!
Sam: Like, "Don't let robots take over the world," or what?
Panel 2
*Robin, wearing a hoodie and sneakers, enters the lab with a tablet in hand, showing a breaking news alert about AI regulation.*
Robin: Guess what? The government’s ready to act on AI like they did with COVID!
Alex: That’s great! We can finally have guidelines without stifling creativity!
Sam: Yeah, and maybe they’ll mandate we give robots flu shots too.
Panel 3
*Alex is typing furiously on his computer, eyes wide with excitement. Sam shakes his head, while Robin is holding a poster that reads *
Alex: Robot Rights Now!
Alex: This is our moment! Let’s draft the most innovative safety protocols!
Sam: Or we could just make sure our AI doesn’t start a war.
Robin: Maybe we need a robot vaccination day too, just to be safe!
Comments