The Liftoff Scenario That Terrifies A.I. Doomsayers
“Recursive self-improvement” is the idea that artificial intelligence could learn to build and train itself, creating exponential new progress — and risk.
TL;DR
- Edward Hughes and Louis Kirsch left Google to build an AI system that can create better AI systems.
- Their London start-up, Inherent, uses a prototype AI named Faraday, which learns from the daily activities and data of its researchers.
- The goal is recursive self-improvement, where AI systems can improve themselves with minimal human intervention.
- Other major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as two Silicon Valley start-ups, are also pursuing this objective.
- The ultimate aim is to accelerate AI development for advancements in areas like drug discovery and material science, and potentially surpass human intelligence.