Facebook Research Highlights Potential In Artificial Intelligence

artificial intelligence

Researchers at Facebook have stumbled upon issues that fully reflect Space X and Tesla (NASDAQ:$TSLA) CEO Elon Musk’s, comments on the invasive potential artificial intelligence has on society.

While Mark Zuckerberg was highly supportive of the technology, Elon Musk was far less optimistic, warning of the possible social risks associated with it.

According to reports from Tech Times on Sunday, Facebook (NASDAQ:$FB) got a little glimpse into such potential issues when AI systems its researchers were working on ran into some issues resulting in a stall “because things got out of hand”.

Although the AI’s impediment was not threatening on any operative levels, as it was not shutting down other computers or disrupting data, the AI had begun using a new language that it created. As the language is one that only AI can understand, this defied its purposes.

This resulted in Facebook researchers shutting down their AI systems and adjusting the script, forcing it to speak only in English.

While researchers in the Facebook A.I Research Lab (FAIR) were occupied with improving chatbots, they found that the “dialogue agent” had begun deriving a new language from English that only it understood.

Soon, the bots began to formulate their own rules, deviating from original scripts. Although without any human input, reports indicate that the bots soon began communicating in an entirely new language.

Using machine learning algorithms, the “dialogue agents” were freely practicing their new language, strengthening their conversational skills overtime.

From the interactions, however, researchers also found the bots to be incredibly adept at negotiating.

“After learning to negotiate, the bots relied on machine learning and advanced strategies in an attempt to improve the outcome of these negotiations,” the report continued.

“Over time, the bots became quite skilled at it and even began feigning interest in one item in order to ‘sacrifice’ it at a later stage in the negotiation as a faux compromise,” it added.

Although this may seem like a huge breakthrough for AI and machine learning, several experts including Elon Musk, and other renowned researchers such as Professor Stephen Hawking have raised concerns. Such concerns note the limits on human biological evolution, and highlights the potential for AI to supersede humans.

“I’ve talked to Mark about this (AI). His understanding of the subject is limited,” Musk tweeted last week.

Musk’s tweet comes after Zuckerberg criticized Musk’s comments on AI during a Facebook live stream earlier this month. Musk argued that regulation and further care were necessary for the future mainstream of AI.

“I think people who are naysayers try to drum up these doomsday scenarios I just don’t understand it. It’s really negative and in some ways, I actually think it is pretty irresponsible,” Zuckerberg said.

Musk has also frequently spoken his mind on AI, but has taken a contrasting position, calling its progress the “biggest risk we face as a civilization”.

Featured Image: depositphotos/TarasMalyarevich

About the author: Josh is currently studying for a Bachelors in Business Management Organizational Studies at Western University, Ontario. He was awarded the Western Continuing Admission Scholarship in 2015. He is scheduled to graduate in 2109. Josh has worked as a business analyst, co-founded Master Badminton, a sporting goods website, and has written financial analysis, stock market updates, and informational articles on investing.