The flipside: the biggest myths about AI
There are all kinds of myths surrounding AI. “Will AI take over? What about malicious intent? Timmer’s sarcasm is obvious from his reaction to these questions. “I regularly hear all kinds of wild theories,” he says. “The biggest issue is the lack of understanding about what AI really is.”
Let's test 3 statements about AI with Timmer. Are they realistic or a myth?
1. One thousand times smarter than humans within 30 years?
"Yes, that’s how fast it’s happening. But what exactly do you mean by smarter?" Timmer asks. “A computer can certainly solve many problems better and faster. But I associate many other things with being ‘smarter’ as well. Namely, you have a certain goal and you’re trying to achieve something and you’re subtly going about it in all sorts of ways. I don’t see a computer or a machine doing that anytime soon. A machine has no consciousness, and that means it’s not a human being.”
2. Will it develop into a malicious terminator?
“Certainly not. A computer or machine doesn’t have the intention to do bad things of its own volition,” he says. “That’s because it doesn’t have a will of its own. It’s still people who send it in that direction. It’s not the algorithm but the application that is or isn’t ethical. Misapplications and the use of incorrect data can lead to disasters. So, we have to make sure we have enough knowledge and skill not to send that computer or machine in the wrong direction. That knowledge and skill are needed both for designing algorithms and for choosing how to apply them. The government needs to play a much more prominent role in setting out standards in this area.
3. Higher unemployment because machines are taking over jobs?
“No, although the job market will change radically. The nature of work is changing, or rather the type of work is changing, and participation improving,” Timmer explains. For instance, AI can help people with physical handicaps to work more easily.
About Prof. Dr. Gerrit Timmer
With more than 40 years of experience in applied mathematics within the top echelons of the business world under his belt, Prof. Gerrit Timmer has what it takes to separate fact from fiction when it comes to artificial intelligence, algorithmics and data science. He is widely recognized as an authority on applied mathematics and Operations Research and is one of the country's leading experts in applying algorithmics. To demonstrate to the world the power and potential of applied mathematics, he teamed up with several of his fellow students to found ORTEC in 1981, which has since become a global powerhouse of data-driven decision-making. He is currently ORTEC’s Chief Science Officer (CSO).
