Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not dominate the world or permanently eliminate jobs, according to Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
Yann LeCun is a renowned French computer scientist recognized for his significant contributions to machine learning, computer vision, mobile robotics, and computational neuroscience. He is mainly known for his work on convolutional neural networks and optical character recognition. After earning his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, LeCun joined AT&T Bell Laboratories, where he developed innovative machine learning methods.
Later, as the head of the Image Processing Research Department at AT&T Labs-Research, he and his team pioneered techniques for document recognition and image analysis. Since 2003, LeCun has been a Professor at New York University, continuing his influential work in the field of artificial intelligence.
According to a report by BBC News published on June 15, 2023, LeCun’s comments, made during a recent press event, counter the fears of some experts who believe AI could threaten humanity.
LeCun, who won the Turing Award in 2018 alongside Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio for their work on deep learning, argued that the idea of AI taking over the world is a projection of human nature onto machines. He dismissed the notion of keeping AI research “under lock and key” as a major mistake.
LeCun compared the development of AI to turbo-jets’ invention in the 1930s. He believes the same will happen with AI just as turbo-jets were eventually made incredibly reliable and safe. He also stated that AI would surpass human intelligence, but essential concepts are still missing, and achieving this level will take years, if not decades.
The AI expert also addressed concerns about artificial general intelligence (AGI), systems that, like humans, can solve many problems. He dismissed fears of AGI taking over the world as “preposterously ridiculous,” arguing that humans would still control any AI system and could be shut down if deemed unsafe.
Regarding the impact of AI on jobs, LeCun believes that while work will change, AI will not permanently put many people out of work. He suggested that intelligent computers could create “a new renaissance for humanity,” similar to the impact of the internet or the printing press.
Featured Image Credit: Photo / illustration by “geralt” via Pixabay
