ChatGPT: a goldmine or an ethical minefield?

The buzz surrounding last November’s launch of ChatGPT – and the resulting tsunami of investment in “generative” artificial intelligence (AI) systems – has sharpened businesses’ interest in the emerging technology not only for its potential to spark a productivity boom but because it could bring significant disruption to the labor market.

But the rush of groundbreaking AI launches, including last month’s release of GPT-4, has also raised ethical questions about the potential danger caused by AI systems’ reinforcing of existing human biases. In March, Elon Musk and other AI experts even called for a six-month pause in the development of powerful new AI tools to allow enough time to set safety standards and head off potential risks to society.

The open letter was signed by more than 1,100 individuals within hours of its publication by the non-profit Future of Life Institute. “Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more…