Elon Musk 'exactly wrong' on AI: Ex-Google chief
San Francisco, May 26 : Tesla and SpaceX Founder Elon Musk's skepticism about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on human beings is "exactly wrong," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said.
Musk thinks that AI is bad for humanity and may spark World War III. "I think Elon is exactly wrong" about AI, Schmidt said during the "VivaTech" conference in Paris on Friday.
"Musk is concerned about the possible misuse of this technology and I am too but I am more convinced by the overwhelming benefit of AI," tech website CNET quoted Schmidt as saying.
"AI will make people smarter and this will be a net gain," said Schmidt who is currently a board member of Alphabet, Google's parent company.
Earlier, during the same event, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg - who has been in verbal spat with Musk over AI for long -- expressed optimism about the possibilities of AI.
"I think that AI is going to unlock a huge amount of positive things, whether that's helping to identify and cure diseases, to help cars drive more safely, to help keep our communities safe," he was quoted as saying.
Mush recently warned that if not regulated or controlled soon, AI will become an "immortal dictator" and there will be no escape for humans.
"At least when there's an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for an AI there would be no death. It would live forever, and then you'd have an immortal dictator, from which we could never escape," he said in a new documentary titled "Do You Trust This Computer?"
Musk has always been a critic of AI and asked for stiff regulations to curb the technology. In a recent tweet, Musk said that people should be more concerned with AI than the risk posed by North Korea.
"If you're not concerned about AI safety, you should be. Vastly more risk than North Korea," Musk tweeted.
Musk has also quit the board of OpenAI, a non-profit AI research company he co-founded that aims to promote and develop friendly AI that benefits the humanity.
In a recent public spat with Zuckerberg, Musk said: "I've talked to Mark about this (AI). His understanding of the subject is limited".
Zuckerberg replied: "I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios -- I just, I don't understand it. It's really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible."
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Punjab CM Mann lays foundation stone of Rs 14.63 crore sports stadium in Sangrur
Sangrur (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 14.63 crore modern sports stadium here, underscoring that expanding access to quality playgrounds alongside a strong education system is key to steering the youth towards "purpose, performance, and global achievement".
The stadium coming up on 4.38 acres in Satouj will offer professional training and host a wide range of sports including badminton, handball, judo, netball, basketball, volleyball, football, gymnastics, kabaddi and karate, according to an official release.
"It is a historic day for the region as this stadium is coming up at a cost of Rs 14.63 crore. This stadium will be constructed over an area of 4.38 acres, and the complex will host various sporting activities," Mann said.
"The stadium will have a 200-metre athletic track, pavilion for spectators and players and a multipurpose indoor sports hall," he said.
While highlighting the wide range of facilities being created, Mann said professional training opportunities will be provided to children and youngsters in the stadium, adding that this project will ensure that the area emerges as a sports hub.
Emphasising the importance of balanced development, he said, "When there is a good school for education and a proper ground for sports, a child can bring glory to their village, state, and country on the global stage."
Reaffirming the Punjab government's focus on youth development, Mann said, "It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that the Punjab government is successfully providing world-class facilities for education and sports."
This project will help in further breaking the backbone of drugs by fostering sporting culture in the state, and it will help in channelising the unbounded energy of youth of state in a positive manner, he said.
Such stadiums will play an important role in helping the youth stay away from the curse of drugs and in order to encourage the youngsters to realise their dreams of winning medals in national and international sporting events, the CM said.
Later, Mann launched an ultra-modern community health centre here that aims to benefit the residents of 85 villages. It is equipped with round-the-clock emergency services, surgical facilities, treatment for serious illnesses and specialist care for children, he said.
Mann alleged that previous governments neglected regions like Dirba and kept development restricted. He said his government is reversing this by investing public money back into villages through hospitals, schools, libraries and roads.
"To impart quality health services to people, we have dedicated the CHC at village Kauhrian... This ambitious project has been completed at a cost of Rs 13.23 crore and the centre has a capacity of 30 beds," he said.
He further noted, "The CHC will also have paediatric specialists for treating children's diseases, and free treatment along with all necessary tests for mothers and children will be provided."
Mann added that dental treatment will also be provided by a specialist at the facility.
