‘Fear of the unknown’ reason why Elon Musk, experts call for pause on training of AI systems: Gary Vaynerchuk

SINGAPORE: The reason that big tech players are calling for a pause on artificial intelligence (AI) development is down to their “fear of the unknown”, said American entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk on Friday (Mar 31).

Speaking to CNA’s Asia First, the chairman of media agency VaynerX and CEO of media consultancy VaynerMedia said: “I think it's the unknown of the sheer ceiling of AI, considering that the floor that we are in right now is profound.”

Earlier this week, a group of AI experts and industry executives, including Tesla and Twitter boss Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, published an open letter calling for a six-month pause in the training of systems more powerful than GPT-4.

The letter, which was signed by over 1,000 people, cited potential risks to society and humanity as a danger of AI, and called for a pause on advanced AI development until shared safety protocols were developed, implemented and audited by independent experts.

MAN VERSUS TECHNOLOGY

Mr Vaynerchuk acknowledged the “shocking” nature of developments in the field of AI, comparing it to the first time he used an internet search engine.

“I remember the first time I used a search engine in the mid-nineties. I could not comprehend that I did not have to go to the library and drive 20 minutes… I couldn't wrap my head around it,” he said.

Calling AI “one of the most profound technologies that has ever happened in the human race”, Mr Vaynerchuk said he believes that its progress cannot be slowed.

“If you look at the history of technology and people, whether it's been the automobile or the television or the radio or the printing press, new technologies are scary because they completely change the world,” he said.

He noted that the call by the industry experts to stop AI labs from developing the technology will not work, as the main tools like the internet and blockchains are “very open”. While major labs may stop their research, there may be other smaller players who continue, he said.

“But I can tell you this, AI will be prevalent in every single person's life for the rest of our lives,” said Mr Vaynerchuk.

PARENTS’ ROLE IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

When it comes to social media and mental health of the young, Mr Vaynerchuk said that parents have a much bigger responsibility to address it than commonly thought.

My Vaynerchuk, who is 47 years old, said during the wide-ranging interview on social media and modern technology, that he came from “a generation where parents were really actually involved”.

“They were willing to ground you. They were willing to not be your best friend. They were willing to be the bad guy,” he said.

He added that modern parenting has softened "dramatically" over the last two decades and become too passive.

He said many parents are angry at the big social media platforms, without realising that they themselves have full control over deleting the apps off their children’s phones, or even confiscating the devices if necessary.

“So guiding my children, for me, it's actually paying attention and caring to what they're consuming,” shared the father of two.

“I would argue that until we get back to full accountability, we will continue to blame politics, the mainstream media, social media, TikTok (and) Facebook.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY

Moving forward, Mr Vaynerchuk expects that the shifts in consumer habits and technology that social media platforms utilise will impact the advertising landscape significantly.

He said that social media will only grow bigger, whether governments get involved with more regulations, or if older ones fade away and get replaced by newer ones, the way video-sharing platform Vine was replaced by TikTok.

“That's going to continue to grow because the mobile device will continue to be a major force for the next decade,” he said.

Mr Vaynerchuk also identified the television landscape as a key area which can shape the industry, with evolving technology such as streaming televisions and smart televisions becoming widespread.

Although there was “premature hype” about the metaverse, Mr Vaynerchuk believes that people will begin spending “meaningful time” in that digital realm within the next half century.

“And if and when that happens… that will change everything, because now the attention is in a virtual world, not in a physical world that has restraints,” he said.

“I would say that at some level, we're now living in a little bit of a virtual world, by being on our phones five hours a day. So I think the phone is actually the preview to the metaverse. Our attention is so much there.”

CONSUMER ATTENTION AS CURRENCY

Mr Vaynerchuk also noted that social media rewards strong content, and has lowered the barriers of entry for advertising.

“If you wanted to get known or sell something 60 years ago, you had to buy an ad in the newspaper, the billboard (or) the television,” he said.

These days, almost anyone can post strategic and creative content and reach a mass audience through a social media platform’s algorithm, said Mr Vaynerchuk.

In this modern age, consumer attention is the currency that brands should be looking at to hook potential customers.

“A hundred years ago, that was writing a script for the radio because everyone sat around (and) listened to the radio, and it would jump in and talk and you would consider it. Then the television came along,” he said.

Today, the attention is on smartphones, so brands need to know how to tailor their content accordingly, said Mr Vaynerchuk.

This includes differentiating the images, videos and writing across various platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or WeChat, he said.

“If you can master that, the grounds of opportunity are unparalleled because they don't cost money,” said Mr Vaynerchuk.