Robert J. Marks, director of Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center, was the subject of a new op-ed at Fox News, which featured his unique insights on artificial intelligence and how it can best be used by human beings. Contrary to much of the present alarmism over AI systems like ChatGPT, Marks remains level-headed about AI’s place in today’s world, pushing back against “sci-fi” apocalypticism while at the same time he is addressing real issues and concerns. Marks said, 

“No, AI is not going to take over. You’re not going to be its pet in the future. It’s going to be a tool which disrupts society, but we’re still going to be in charge.”

SCOTT WHITLOCK, AI EXPERT WARNS OF TOO MUCH ‘HYPE’: HUMANS WILL STILL BE IN CHARGE, WON’T BE ‘PETS’ TO NEW TECH | FOX NEWS

Marks is less concerned about AI’s conquest of humanity and more about the military; whoever has the edge on the most advanced tech wins the wars. He is especially concerned about our competition with China, noting, 

“Unfortunately, it looks like the United States is falling a little bit behind in terms of the development of technology with respect to what China is doing….That’s a little bit troublesome. So we need to do a catch-up.”

The U.S. is foregoing opportunities to advance as a world power and implement the innovation and resources at our disposal. 

AI and Evident Bias

Regarding ChatGPT, Marks said one of its biggest problems is its evident bias. He noted that the chatbot, which is apparently supposed to be neutral, wrote a favorable poem for President Biden but composed a negative one for former-President Donald Trump. Regardless of political affiliation, that’s not the behavior of a “neutral chatbot” and should trouble users who expect to be getting an unbiased response. 

“All technology goes through what I call a hype curve,” said Marks. For him, that includes ChatGPT. It will have its effects and consequences in society, certainly. However, in Marks’s words, it will never achieve the characteristics that make us uniquely human.