More than 70 AI scientists from around the world have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking her to retract a statement she made in May that artificial intelligence is expected to approach human reasoning “next year”.
The scientists have accused Ms von der Leyen of promoting “AI hype” from tech companies.
The letter asks her to retract the statement, diligently evaluate the marketing claims of AI products and seek impartial scientific evidence.
Dr Kris Shrishak, an Enforce Senior Fellow with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), is one of the signatories of the letter.
“Leaders of EU institutions have a responsibility to citizens,” Dr Shrishak said.
“By promoting AI hype in the midst of a dangerous bubble, the European Commission risks proposing harmful policies, wasting public funds and being complicit in AI harms,” he added.
A European Commission spokesperson said it is not predicting human-level AI next year.
“We are saying that progress is moving faster than older forecasts suggested,” the Commission said.
The spokesperson said that planning must stay flexible, not locked to forecasts made five or ten years ago.
“Responsible planning is not guessing the future, it’s preparing for different scenarios,” they added.
Article Source – Scientists call on EU Commission President to withdraw AI comment
