RE: WIRED 2021: Kai-fu Lee and Yoky Matsuoka Imagine the potential for the benefit of AI

When we think about it of Artificial intelligence, many of us jump from science fiction to future visions — like the landscapes of hell— Matrix, Black Mirror, and Terminator. But that’s not necessarily the way things will turn out. Two leading technology experts believe that there is more reason for optimism than pessimism, even if there will be speeding numbers along the way.

Kai-Fu Lee is the former head of Microsoft Research in Asia, and Google in China. He is currently the president and CEO of Sinovation Ventures, a venture capital firm with nearly $ 3 billion in assets; Approximately 70 percent of the investments belong to AI. Lee is also the author of the 2018 book AI Super-powers and the 2021 book AI 2041: Ten perspectives for our future, Co-authored with Stanley Chan (Chen Qiufan), a science fiction writer.

Yoky Matsuoka is one of the founders of Google X, a former CTO at Google Nest and a former executive at Apple, Twitter and elsewhere. He is now the founder and CEO of Yohana, an AI-enhanced personal assistant service that he describes as a family-friendly welfare company to help prioritize well-being and presence. Lee and Matsuoka spoke with Gideon Lichfield, global editorial director at WIRED RE: WIRED lecture.

Lee believes AI can be a great help to health, even if he sees obstacles. Consider an AI program that helps 5 percent of patients, but hurts 3 percent. AI professionals will probably see that it’s a good thing because it helps more people than it hurts. But doctors will see it differently, as 3 percent of people may not have been misdiagnosed by human doctors. So the two worlds will have to learn to work together. He does not see this as a disadvantage, but necessarily as a point of friction to be overcome.

People think IA is a black box, Lee says, where the computer makes a decision based on thousands of calculations and we don’t know what they are or why it came to its conclusions. It’s really hard for us to have confidence in something like that. Lee is in favor of creating an AI that can explain the three main calculations he may have made in human terms. “As a society, I think we need to put it aside:‘ Explain the complex black box perfectly, otherwise we won’t use you! ’” Leek thinks. Instead, he suggests asking AI: “Explain to yourself how to make a decision reasonably and understandably at a level and level that is worse than a human being. If we change that reference, I find it feasible.”

Matsuoka sees the great potential of IA in care as well. He mentions his parents, who are elderly and in poor health. Being an only child, she wants to help care for them, but also respect their privacy and independence. He says he and his parents would have enough electronic devices to make sure they are doing well every day. When they are not there, with their permission, he or she could collect some data to make sure he or she is warned if they fall, and he or she can call a caregiver. He says he would like to build a world where sensors and people can work together to prevent bad things from happening. For example, sensors can show that one of their parents is moving differently or that something is broken at home and there may be a risk of tripping.