Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr. Hu Limin served as the keynote speaker at an AI technology seminar in the South Bay on October 18 (last Friday). He expressed that the AI wave is unstoppable, and people can only choose to adapt. However, he emphasized the importance of maintaining vigilance so as not to become slaves to AI.
Dr. Hu Limin, currently the Chairman of the Global Jade Mountain Technology Association, holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. His career spans various industries including startups, non-profit organizations, real estate, supermarkets, and more. The event was organized by the Jinshan Bay Area Mommy Classroom.
Dr. Hu mentioned that people are facing a very frightening AI revolution, one even more terrifying than the Industrial Revolution, with approximately forty years in the making. The current AI only simulates one-billionth of the brain’s capacity, yet it’s already quite formidable.
Take ChatGPT for example, with its data center containing billions of parameters and the capability to collect and analyze all data on the internet. By providing AI with enough data, it can create movies, music, and even art. Its abilities exceed our imagination.
Furthermore, AI has the ability to self-learn. Dr. Hu explained that every interaction one has with AI becomes part of its knowledge, allowing it to learn rapidly, making its IQ immeasurable.
Therefore, artificial intelligence (AI) is destined to surpass human intelligence and soon completely surpass it, reshaping the entire societal structure.
Dr. Hu stated that as AI further develops, various aspects of social life will gradually become intelligent and automated. For instance, household devices can be integrated into a unified network controlled effortlessly by AI for adjusting home temperatures, lighting, and electronics.
Moreover, modes of transportation like cars, buses, and trains will achieve autonomous driving; medical systems utilizing medical image recognition and interpretation functions will see extensive usage; and many simple jobs will soon be replaced by AI. “This is a quite terrifying prospect,” he said.
AI may even become companions in human daily life. Dr. Hu mentioned his young son once asked him, “Dad, why have a girlfriend when the cartoon characters on the computer are more beautiful?” Half-jokingly during the seminar, Dr. Hu remarked, “AI chatbots can chat with us, and if you chat with them for a long time, you might end up falling for them. You’ll wonder how such a great girl who’s so compatible with you exists. This is where AI is frightening.”
While AI brings many conveniences, it also raises many issues. Dr. Hu emphasized that AI technology will fully replace human labor in many fields, leading to unemployment and societal unrest. He expressed that the real fear isn’t society’s poverty but its injustice. When wealth disparity is too great, even the rich struggle to live peacefully, as they may face robbery on the streets or home invasions at night. This is a significant problem AI may cause.
Additionally, AI impacts interpersonal relationships. Dr. Hu pointed out that the emergence of smartphones has deeply altered societal dynamics. Currently, even when he speaks on stage, many people are still engrossed in their phones. The pervasive use of smartphones has brought about many side effects, subtly altering our way of life. Direct communication between individuals is gradually diminishing and may potentially vanish entirely.
Furthermore, AI influences democratic freedom. Dr. Hu illustrated that everyone present at the event holds unique perspectives, and it is essential to respect everyone’s thoughts, creativity, and beliefs—a true representation of democracy and freedom granting everyone the right to independent thinking. The most frightening aspect of AI is its super-intelligent nature; systems like ChatGPT can scour all internet data, forming its perspectives. This situation could result in monologues or misleading humans, thereby weakening their freedom of thought.
Moreover, AI has enabled fraudsters with advanced technology. Microsoft released a white paper titled “Protecting the Public from Abusive AI-Generated Content.”
According to the white paper, in 2023, losses totaling $2.7 billion were incurred due to identity fraud stemming from deepfake technology, with a median fraud amount of $1,000.
In 2023, 37% of global organizations experienced some form of voice deepfake fraud. Particularly notable is that the elderly have become major victims of AI scams. Dr. Hu stated that behind all technological advancements, there are always two groups pushing progress. The first group is the fraud syndicates.
He further mentioned that human development is progressing towards autonomous AI (General AI), where AI can make decisions independently, thus evolving into autonomous intelligence. “When AI reaches this autonomous stage, it becomes a very dangerous path.”
Dr. Hu expressed that five years from now, those who fail to understand AI might be left behind in time. Therefore, embracing AI is crucial. Simultaneously, we must recognize the profound impacts it will have on various aspects of society. The key is how we face AI.
In light of the inevitable AI wave, Dr. Hu emphasized the importance and challenges of educating the next generation. Understanding societal changes and instilling core human values in them are essential. He stressed the significance of emphasizing interpersonal relationships and ethical morals in education, ensuring children grasp that cooperation with others is key to success, rather than relying entirely on AI and losing their independent thinking, ultimately becoming slaves to AI.
He underscored how the convenience of smartphones has led everyone to interact with them, diminishing interpersonal communication. As AI becomes more prevalent in the future, people will find it easier to get lost in it, neglecting essential interpersonal relationships and human connections.
He also mentioned how future education will fully enter the era of AI. However, children must not rely entirely on AI for their learning but should start with fundamental skills training.
If they become completely dependent on AI, they will lose the ability to conduct their research, investigation, and self-training.
He used an analogy, comparing it to giving a child a gun, where the focus should be on teaching them how to handle the weapon carefully rather than for fighting—aiming to achieve better results through cautious learning and usage. ◇