(image: KAIST)
DAEJEON, Sept. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Jerry Kaplan, a world-renowned scholar at Stanford University and an expert in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), said that the myth surrounding the topic is already very widely spread but that it would be “impossible” for robots to achieve the level of thinking humans are born with.
Kaplan, who is in Korea to attend the Munhwa Future Report, a forum on urgent global issues, spoke at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) yesterday, where he downplayed the suggestion by some academics that artificial intelligence will one day surpass human intelligence.
Kaplan explained that through machine learning, robots may be able to extract useful information from a vast pool of data but would not become as “smart” as human beings.
Kaplan also explained that artificial intelligence would merely make machines more intelligent to perform their jobs better.
Regarding the myths surrounding artificial intelligence that have become popular in mainstream media, Kaplan blamed the entertainment industry for falsely portraying robots with human-like characteristics, an idea not based on scientific knowledge.
Kaplan cited a New York Times article printed on July 8, 1958 which predicted that a computer “will be able to walk, talk, see, write, reproduce itself and be conscious of its existence.”
Kaplan argues, however, that such technology has yet to be developed.
Kaplan also offered advice to Korean scholars and experts in the nation’s AI sector.
“A significant amount of data should be collected and saved, more engineers than scientists should be nurtured, and the government should relax regulations and foster research with relevant infrastructure to ensure that AI technology is well executed,” said Kaplan.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
