ligence, starting with the idea that it exists to maximize the human
experience.
An emerging school of thought proposes that programming—instead
of being focused on tasks—should be zeroed in on humans’
well-being. For Halverson, that means starting at the basics. “There
needs to be a purpose defined by autonomy, and it needs to be auditable
against that purpose,” he says. “What are the parts, the subset
of values, that allow it to reach its goal the right way? That, we can
look at.”
Russell has spoken at TedX about a key element that will keep algorithms
within the bounds of human control: uncertainty. According to
Russell, programming the algorithm to have a measure of uncertainty
as it tries to assist humans reduces the chance that the rational agent
will go off on a V’Ger-like tear, or that it will become so task-oriented
that it will learn to block its off switch (reasoning that it can’t succeed
if it is turned off).
Programming and training the algorithm that its mission is to make
life better for humans, whose goals and desires are not linear and not
easily sorted into ranking values—the cat over nutrition, for example—means
the algorithm must continuously check that its efforts
align with what people care about.
“Agents with uncertainty about the utility function they are optimizing
will have a weaker incentive to interfere with human supervision,”
Russell concludes. “The robot should be altruistic and only want
to achieve our objectives, but doesn’t know what we want. It has to
maximize those values but doesn’t know what they are.”
Through experience and learning, the intelligent machine, he
believes, will come to understand and absorb those values. And it will
become more certain after it’s pointed in a direction that serves and
advances humans.
“The upside of this tech is it can take us places we’ve never been,
but the natural tension to this is how we keep it bounded,” says Halverson.
“Our hope is that we can have it grow in a contained way with
humans at the center.” ■
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What do artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual and
augmented reality have in common? Hear what Jeff Clarke, vice
chairman of Products & Operations at Dell Technologies, has to say
in the “An Intelligent Environment... For Your Business” episode of
the Luminaries podcast. DellTechnologies.com/Luminaries