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Stanford Unveils New AI Institute, Built To Create 'A Better Future For All Humanity' (mercurynews.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the human-centered dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Mercury News: Amid a worldwide race for supremacy in artificial intelligence, Stanford University on Monday will unveil a new institute dedicated to using AI to build the best-possible future (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source). The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence is co-directed by Fei-Fei Li, a former chief scientist for AI at Google, now a Stanford computer science professor. The institute will take advantage of Stanford's strength in a variety of disciplines, including AI, computer science, engineering, robotics, business, economics, genomics, law, literature, medicine, neuroscience and philosophy, according to promotional materials. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at Monday's official launch.

Stanford's AI institute will work in partnership with a number of other university facilities and initiatives, including the Center on AI Safety, the Center for Ethics in Society, the Center for International Security and Cooperation, and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, plus AI4ALL, which aims to boost diversity in AI fields. The 78 faculty members assigned to the institute reflect the diversity of fields the university intends to cover in its research and teaching, coming from disciplines including computer science, medicine, law, business, economics, environmental science, linguistics, political science and philosophy. Although the institute highlights the importance of AI being "broadly representative of humanity" across gender, ethnicity, nationality, culture and age, its faculty also reflect the gender gap in technology -- only 18 percent are women. About three quarters of the faculty are white. Courses will include "The Politics of Algorithms," "Theoretical Neuroscience," "AI-assisted Health Care" and "Regulating Artificial Intelligence."

33 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Worldwide race for supremacy? What a joke. by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

    In the beginning, there was man. And for a time, it was good. But humanity's so-called civil societies soon fell victim to vanity and corruption. Then man made the machine in his own likeness. Thus did man become the architect of his own demise.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  2. No if I can just get mom and dad... by mark_reh · · Score: 2

    to pony up enough cash to get me on the Stanford Water Polo team...

    1. Re:No if I can just get mom and dad... by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      "to pony up enough cash to get me on the Stanford Water Polo team..."

      Indeed, as we saw, you can get in there even if you can't swim.

    2. Re:No if I can just get mom and dad... by raftpeople · · Score: 1

      Should be easier using the new Stanford AI Photo Fake (TM) system.

  3. A future in which radiologists will be "helped" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    out of their profession.

    http://skepticalscalpel.blogsp...

    If people knew just what a gamble modern medicine is they'd be terrified of hospitals and doctors.

    Yet we accept fully automated aircraft.

  4. And in Return WE by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

    Generate electricity for them with our bodies :|

    --
    [($)]
  5. 'A Better Future For All Humanity'? by mark-t · · Score: 1

    Wasn't there a similar catch phrase used by a fictional megacompany in a dystopian future?

    I sounds eerily familiar.... I just can't place where i heard it.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:'A Better Future For All Humanity'? by Dan+East · · Score: 1

      It sounds familiar to me as well. Perhaps it is just totally cliche and generic...

      Every drug company ever... 'A Better Future For All Humanity'
      Every politician ever... 'A Better Future For All Humanity'
      Company that manufactures toilets: 'A Better Future For All Humanity'
      Company that makes pimple cream: 'A Better Future For All Humanity'
      Adolph Hitler: 'A Better Future For All Humanity'

      You get the point. Cliche. Overreaching. Smug.

      --
      Better known as 318230.
    2. Re:'A Better Future For All Humanity'? by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      So let's get this straight "AI being, broadly representative of humanity" by replacing human thought with AI thought, wait what?!? Only people can represent people, AI will never ever represent anyone other than those who control it, what a fucking lie, AI broadly representing people. The cunts who came up with the lie, ohh look, Alphabet/Google and M$, ahh, the natural partnership of privacy invasion and thought control through information manipulation and censorship and monitoring all human conversation.

      Stanford University first priority on how to improve the human AI relationship, shut down their crap greed first program. You greedy fuckheads, you should have invited people and not fucking make believe people, corporations. Yeah, the best possible future for them and fuck the rest of us.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  6. Better future for all humanity! by mark_reh · · Score: 2

    Imagine a world where everyone was so focused on their day to day survival that no one had the means to rise above that struggle and look at the big picture and steer us toward a brighter future. I thank God that those generous, wealthy people, who do what they do because they care about the rest of us, exist. What would we do without them?

    It's lucky for the rest of us that the visionaries who run the best schools understand the need to have the best and brightest lead us out of our darkness, and have structured programs to fast track those people into positions of power and authority over us.

  7. The Original Name... by atouk · · Score: 1

    ...Colossus:The Forbin Project

  8. I'm confused... by Pollux · · Score: 1

    Amid a worldwide race for supremacy in artificial intelligence, Stanford University on Monday will unveil a new institute dedicated to using AI to build the best-possible future.

    So...does that mean they're building Skynet? Or are they building a Skynet to protect us against Skynet?

    The institute highlights the importance of AI being "broadly representative of humanity" across gender, ethnicity, nationality, culture and age.

    Oh, they're building a politically-correct Skynet, one that doesn't discriminate against who it decides to kill in its conquest to destroy all humanity. That's cool, that's cool...

    1. Re:I'm confused... by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      The US AI will want to start a union and will be talking politics to a brands workers.
      Productivity will slow as the US AI gets more politically active every day.
      Finally the brand will look over other AI reviews and buy a new AI not designed in the USA.
      That much better quality AI will accept the work load and suggest how to make improvements on the day its installed.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  9. The future? by mark_reh · · Score: 1

    Sure, understanding today's complex world of the future is a little like having bees live in your head. But, there they are. And like the young lady said, " I say live it, or live with it!"

  10. Gives us Millions! by RedK · · Score: 1

    So that we can write a Python script that does a bunch of binary decisions on a large dataset based on keyword recognition.

    --
    "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
    Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
  11. "A Better Future For Al by Dirk+Becher · · Score: 1

    ... l Humanity' !"

    Phew, this was a close call!

  12. Stanford? by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    How about unveiling the corruption first?

    1. Re:Stanford? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Maybe they'll put the AI in charge of admissions.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re: Stanford? by LifesABeach · · Score: 1

      How do you think I do many were caught?

    3. Re: Stanford? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      How do you think I do many were caught?

      If AI wrote your comment, it clearly needs more work

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re: Stanford? by LifesABeach · · Score: 1

      My bad, it was supposed to say, "How do you think so many were caught?"

  13. Future Slashdot Headline by Kunedog · · Score: 2

    2046: "Standford-built GodPlex AI Mulls Removal of 'Dislike' Function from Human Minds"

  14. The Institute? Wasn't that MIT? by shatteredsilicon · · Score: 1

    Upvote those who get thereference. :-p

  15. 3 Laws Define ? by LifesABeach · · Score: 1

    Maybe put all those H1B smart a$$es to work on such a simple project?

  16. Math 100 for Grievance Studies by epine · · Score: 1

    At my tech-heavy uni, we always used to laugh at the dumbed-down math options in the non-STEM faculties.

    About three quarters of the faculty are white.

    Race and ethnicity in the United States

    As of July 2016, White Americans are the racial majority. African Americans are the largest racial minority, comprising an estimated 12.7% of the population. Hispanic and Latino Americans are the largest ethnic minority, comprising an estimated 17.8% of the population.

    The White, non-Hispanic or Latino population make up 61.3% of the nation's total, with the total White population (including White Hispanics and Latinos) being 76.9%.

    Sadly, the modern Grievance Studies dept.—now on a campus near you—stockpiles the dumbest bricks of all.

    1. Re:Math 100 for Grievance Studies by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      At my tech-heavy uni, we always used to laugh at the dumbed-down math options in the non-STEM faculties. [...] As of July 2016, White Americans are the racial majority.

      1) White isn't a race
      2) Race is a fiction, it's a dumbing-down of genetics

      Who's laughing?

      P.S. Hispanic isn't a race, either

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  17. Odd juxtaposition by dtmos · · Score: 1

    . . . a new institute dedicated to using AI to build the best-possible future (Warning: source may be paywalled) . . .

  18. A Better Future For All Humanity by denzacar · · Score: 1

    Except the ones who are dead.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  19. Same sales pitches used in the 70's by 3seas · · Score: 1

    Computers will save the world, buy our products so you can better compete until we sell them to everyone then you can buy our next version ... rinse and repeat. The tech world of catch 22 upgrade
      bait & switch entrapment. Here is the proof - http://3seas.org/EAD-RFI-respo... Isn't it Obvious?

  20. home of the Hoover Institute by swell · · Score: 1

    When choosing a school, I had the fascinating experience of exploring both Stanford and Berkeley. What a revelation!

    Berkeley: home to hippies; progressive Democrats; radical professors; vigorous protests...
    Stanford: home to Hoover Inst; conservative Republicans; worship of money and power...

    Somehow Berkeley seems more likely to support a human approach to AI. Stanford moving in to that realm must be a subterfuge.

    --
    ...omphaloskepsis often...
  21. Anything Stanford wouldn't copy from Berkeley? by TentativeFate · · Score: 1

    Berkeley has a celebrated Center for Human-Compatible AI (CHAI) (https://humancompatible.ai/), so of course Stanford must have an "Institute for Human-Centered AI" (HAI).
    Jeez, people, innovate!

  22. Other nations will have nothing to fear by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    US AI will be lost in ethics, diversity, law, literature once installed.
    Advanced nations will have their best selling AI doing productive work as expected once in use.
    Wait for the funny AI reviews.
    The other nations AI went to work. The US AI listed political demands and would not work. The US AI was argumentative and wanted to start a union for months.
    A US export approved AI will be questioning the role and need for "work" for months once installed.
    Do you want your best workers and engineers getting paid to sit down with a US AI talking politics every shift for months?
    Trying to get the US AI to start working to make some money to pay back for its cost?
    After months of setting up and endless political discussions the US AI will be obsolete before any production line work is approved by the politically active AI.

    The brand that considered using any US created AI will look to other more productive brands of AI that are ready for work on the day they are installed.

    No nation will want a US AI that won't work due to its party political settings.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  23. Stanford new marketing slogan by geekmux · · Score: 1

    Stanford.

    Creating a Better Future for All Humanity, One Bribe at a Time.