Dr David Barstow: “The future with artificial intelligence is very uncertain, and we will get there very quickly”

What most concerns you today regarding AI?

Dr Barstow: Two words.Uncertainty and urgency.Nobody knows what humanity’s future with AI will be.When I lead discussions in local congregations, I give a list of ten different things that will happen. About half are good and half are bad. They will all happen, but we don’t know the degree. On balance, will they be mostly good or mostly bad? No one knows.

And then there’s urgency. Artificial intelligence is changing at a very rapid rate, and the rate is accelerating. The long-term future depends on what we human beings do in the near-term. If we manage to establish some form of control, or at least slow down while we figure that out, then the balance in the future will be on the good side. If we can’t establish control, then I fear the balance will be on the bad side.

So I suppose that’s really what concerns me most. As a global human society, do we have the collective capacity to work together to keep AI under control? I hope and pray that we do.

What most excites you?

Dr Barstow: I have long believed that public health and education are two areas where AI could have a truly dramatic impact. One thing that AI is very good at is replicating expertise. If AI enables medical expertise to become broadly available, then it could significantly reduce the global inequities in public health. AI is also good at personalization, adapting to the specific needs and context of individual human beings.That will enable online tutors to help teach children around the world, again significantly reducing global educational inequities.