Khosla’s response was to point out that technology is a tool that must be managed, comparing improvements in computer technology to advance in nuclear science. Applied one way, nuclear science offers bombs, but applied another, it’s a source of clean energy.
Likewise, artificial intelligence, if managed, can be equally beneficial for humanity, said Khosla, who co-founded Sun Microsystems. However, CRISPR, the technique bacteria and now humans, are using to edit MANIPULATE genes in animals, is a bit more worrisome, he argued.
So I think Elon’s concern is a valid concern and one we should pay attention to, but probably more manageable than he might intimate. I can think of more scary technologies that we’re using today – CRISPR being one in biology – which has equally scary potential.
One reason CRISPR is likely scarier for Khosla is that he says that Chinese researchers are already using it to edit genes in human babies, which should bring about a debate about use of the technology and protocols. A positive use of such a technology would be eliminating genetic diseases, but fears are that geneticists could create so-called designer babies that are more intelligent.
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