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24 August 2023

How to Prevent an AI Catastrophe Society Must Get Ready for Very Powerful Artificial Intelligence

Markus Anderljung and Paul Scharre

In April 2023, a group of academics at Carnegie Mellon University set out to test the chemistry powers of artificial intelligence. To do so, they connected an AI system to a hypothetical laboratory. Then they asked it to produce various substances. With just two words of guidance—“synthesize ibuprofen”—the chemists got the system to identify the steps necessary for laboratory machines to manufacture the painkiller. The AI, as it turned out, knew both the recipe for ibuprofen and how to produce it.

Unfortunately, the researchers quickly discovered that their AI tool would synthesize chemicals far more dangerous than Advil. 

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