Microsoft economist warns of A.I. election interference from ‘bad actors’

People ought to fear extra about “AI being used by bad actors” than they need to about AI productiveness outpacing human productiveness, Microsoft chief economist Michael Schwarz mentioned at a World Economic Forum occasion Wednesday.

“Before AI could take all your jobs, it could certainly do a lot of damage in the hands of spammers, people who want to manipulate elections,” Schwarz added whereas talking on a panel on harnessing generative AI.

Microsoft first invested $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019, years earlier than the 2 corporations would combine OpenAI’s GPT massive language mannequin into Microsoft’s Bing search product. In January, Microsoft introduced a brand new multiyear multibillion-dollar funding within the firm. OpenAI depends on Microsoft to supply the computing heft that powers OpenAI’s merchandise, a relationship that Wells Fargo just lately mentioned may lead to as much as $30 billion in new annual income for Microsoft.

Schwarz tempered his warning about AI by noting that each one new applied sciences, even vehicles, carried a level of danger once they first got here to market. “When AI makes us more productive, we as mankind ought to be better off,” he famous, “because we are able to produce more stuff.”

OpenAI’s ChatGPT sparked a flood of funding within the AI sector. Google moved to launch a rival chatbot, Bard, sparking a wave of inner concern a few botched rollout. Politicians and regulators have expressed rising concern in regards to the potential impact of AI expertise as nicely.

Vice President Kamala Harris will meet Thursday with prime executives from Anthropic, one other AI agency, and Google, Microsoft and OpenAI to debate accountable AI growth, the White House advised CNBC on Tuesday. Meanwhile, FTC Chair Lina Khan penned an op-ed in The New York Times on Wednesday warning “enforcers and regulators must be vigilant.”

“Please remember, breaking is much easier than building,” Schwarz mentioned.