Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings hopes more researchers and students will ask in-depth questions about the possibility of artificial intelligence and human norms being overturned.
To that end, Hastings donated $50 million to his alma mater, Boudin College, and created a research initiative on “AI and Humanity,” the biggest gift to Maine's liberal arts college since its establishment in 1794.
Hastings and school officials say the programme is intended to make it a mecca for studying the risks and outcomes of AI. The initiative also aims to prepare students to tackle emerging technologies that can produce human-like textbooks and generate formulas for potential new drug compounds.
The idea for the program came from a discussion between Hastings and Boudin's president, Safa R. Zaki. Bowdoin will use some of the money to hire 10 faculty members to help professors who want to “incorporate AI and interrogate” their education and research.
In an interview, Hastings said it is urgent for more researchers to tackle such questions due to the advances in AI and the significant disruption that systems could bring to human efforts such as work and relationships.
“We are going to fight for the survival of mankind and for the prosperity of mankind,” Hastings said. He compared AI to social networks and noted that social networking grew so fast that few people first realized the changes that could be brought about in human interactions and behavior.
“I think the AI changes are much greater than the social networking changes,” Hastings added. “So it's important to get started early before you get overwhelmed by the problem.”
Dr. Zaki said he hopes Bowdoin faculty and students come up with an ethical framework to study and use basic questions about AI.
“What does it mean to have technology that consumes so much power? What does it mean to have technology that could potentially expand social inequality?” asked Dr. Zaki. “We have a moral obligation to take on this as educators.”
Hundreds of millions of people are beginning to use AI, finding information, creating emails, generating computer code, and more. Developers of these tools say that even more powerful AI systems are poised to radically change everyday life.
Some prominent Silicon Valley leaders are promoting a rosy vision of an AI-driven future.
The new initiative at Boudin, where Hastings received his bachelor's degree in 1983, aims to study more specifically, for better or worse, how AI changes society. Hastings said he hopes the new program will help ensure that technology development will benefit people and benefit.
“I am an extreme techno-optimist and see most of human progress as a moral ethical system on the other side,” he said. “Technological advancements are progressing very well. Some strengthening is needed to improve our moral and ethical system.”
