8 Terrifying Truths About Artificial Intelligence (4 of 5)

3. Big Tech Is Taking Over AI

Major tech firms like Google, Apple, and Facebook have bought up more than 140 AI startups in recent years. These giants are also hiring top AI researchers, consolidating talent and technology under a few powerful corporations. Consider this: Facebook has invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI alone. This trend raises concerns that future AI development could be controlled by a small, unaccountable elite.

2. AI Will Surpass Human Intelligence

Today’s AI is relatively weak. It is task-specific and limited to its programming. But we aren’t far off from an AI capable of human-like reasoning and independent thought. In fact, many experts believe it could arrive within the next decade. An AI that was self-aware and autonomous would no longer need us to tell it what to do. It could set its own goals and even pursue them in ways we might not expect, much less control.