Is AI already conscious? A professor of artificial intelligence explains: The Skynet is not a movie plot, the risks and opportunities of AI taking jobs, the myths of AGI..

This article curates a YouTube video insight from GQ's interview with Graham Morehead, professor of AI and machine learning at the University of Gonzaga, about human employment, AGI competitions, opportunities and challenges in the age of AI. (Synopsis: OpenAI's new engineer agent Codex!) AI writable function, fix bugs, run tests: Limited to 3 types of users to use first) (Background supplement: Podcast essence: AI and bots cover the cryptocurrency boom, the next era of micro-entrepreneurship is the strongest) The wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is sweeping the world at an unprecedented speed, from the amazing ability of large language models to the profound impact on the future social structure. In a recent interview with GQ, Graham Morehead, professor of AI and machine learning at the University of Gonzaga, conducted an in-depth analysis of key topics such as the type of AI, its history, current hot topics such as the rise of Grog, the impact of AI on the job market, the competition of artificial general intelligence (AGI), and the future outlook and ethical challenges of AI. The current situation of AI and key players Professor Morehead first clarified that AI can be broadly divided into two types: the first type of AI is similar to human intuition, can quickly process large amounts of information and respond quickly with emotion or pattern recognition, such as neural networks; The second type of AI is more inclined to systematic logical operations and solve problems step by step. Professor Morhead mentioned that Google's "Attention is All You Need" paper published in 2017 and its BERT model laid an important foundation for later development. However, it was OpenAI's ChatGPT that really ignited public enthusiasm. Since then, the Llama model of Meta (formerly Facebook), the eponymous model of the French company Mistral, and China's DeepSeek have come out one after another, forming a situation of chasing the deer. This fierce "AI arms race" not only accelerates the iterative update of technology, but also indicates that the commercial landing and market penetration of AI applications will be further accelerated. The far-reaching impact of AI on the job market and society: Challenges and transformation Coexist Regarding concerns about whether AI will replace human jobs on a large scale, Professor Morhead candidly said: "AI will indeed replace many jobs." But he also cited the example of automated teller machines (ATMs), pointing out that the popularity of ATMs has not led to a net reduction in the number of bank tellers, but has led to a shift in new job demand and service models. He emphasized that the popularity of AI will force us to rethink the nature of work and encourage individuals to actively learn how to use AI to assist their own work, such as handing over repetitive or time-consuming tasks to AI to handle, thereby increasing personal productivity and creativity. In the future, emerging professions such as "managers" who manage and coordinate the work of a large number of AI agents are expected to emerge in large numbers. It's worth pondering that the social impact of AI extends far beyond employment. Professor Morehead warns that because AI learns primarily from internet data, bias, discriminatory rhetoric, and even misinformation (such as the "flat earth") that exist in the web can be replicated and amplified by AI. He reminds users to always think critically about AI-generated content and "look carefully." Another challenge that cannot be ignored is the huge energy consumption brought about by the development of AI. Take Colossus, a large AI computing center in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, for example, which consumes about 50 megawatts of electricity at its peaks and requires huge amounts of water for cooling. Professor Morehead predicts that if the number of AI training centers around the world continues to surge in the next decade, the electricity demand of the AI industry alone may catch up with the total electricity consumption of a developed country, which poses a severe test of global energy supply and environmental sustainability. In addition, AI-generated content is becoming increasingly realistic, and without effective supervision and traceability mechanisms, a large number of AI-generated disinformation may seriously erode historical authenticity and social trust. The Competition and Ethical Challenges of General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) Among the ultimate goals of AI development, artificial general intelligence (AGI) is undoubtedly the most imaginary milestone. Professor Morehead explained that most AI is still "narrow AI" and only excels at specific tasks. AGI refers to AI that has a wide range of cognitive abilities equal to or even surpasses humans, and can understand, learn and adapt to new and complex environments. He notes that although the pioneers of the 1956 Dartmouth Conference had optimistically expected AGI to be realized in just 20 years, reality proved to be far more difficult than expected. But once AGI is born, it may be followed by "artificial superintelligence" (ASI) whose intelligence far exceeds that of humans. Professor Morehead likened ASI to a "virtual Einstein" capable of solving scientific breakthroughs that humans have been able to achieve for tens of thousands of years in a very short time, such as solving the mystery of time travel or anti-gravity. In this future-critical AGI race, the United States and China are undoubtedly in the lead. Professor Morehead observed that both countries have top-notch AI R&D capabilities, and China has an advantage in the number of AI researchers and the size of graduates in STEM fields. However, there are differences in the deployment concepts of AI between the two countries: China's AI applications serve its "social governance and monitoring system" to a certain extent, while the United States is more focused on using AI to empower individuals and improve creativity and productivity. He bluntly said that in this race, "there is no second place", and the country or entity that takes the lead in mastering ASI will gain an incalculable strategic advantage, which also makes AGI's research and development full of complex geopolitical considerations and potential risks. With the potential realization of AGI/ASI, the associated ethical dilemmas are becoming increasingly apparent. When asked whether AI should have rights, Professor Morehead gave a negative answer based on the judgment that AI does not currently have consciousness, emotion, or self-will. As for the common threat of "Skynet" AI getting out of control in science fiction works, he believes that this is more of a "human choice", and the international community should work together to formulate norms to ensure that the development of AI is always on a controllable and beneficial track for mankind. Especially in sensitive areas such as the weaponization of AI, it is important to ensure that responsible humans are in the final decision-making process. The Future of AI: Opportunities and Risks Looking ahead to the next decade, Professor Morhead is cautiously optimistic about AI's potential. He expects AI to revolutionize many areas, especially in biomedicine and healthcare. He cited the AlphaFold model developed by Google DeepMind as an example, which successfully predicted the 3D structure of almost all known proteins, greatly accelerating the process of new drug development and disease understanding, and is expected to bring breakthrough therapies to cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other stubborn diseases, and even improve overall metabolic health and prolong human life. The application of AI in the field of mental health is also beginning to appear...