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Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has stated that artificial intelligence (AI) will be just as important to human history as fire or electricity.

He believes that AI is the most profound technology humanity is currently working on as it gets to the essence of what intelligence is and what humanity is. In a recent interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Pichai stated that it was important to ensure that AI models don’t only train with engineers.

“I’ve always thought of A.I. as the most profound technology humanity is working on—more profound than fire or electricity or anything that we’ve done in the past,” Pichai said in an interview aired on Sunday.

He explained that the role of other disciplines is critical to developing robust AI models that are more human-like.

“This is why I think the development of this needs to include not just engineers, but social scientists, ethicists, philosophers, and so on,” he said. Pichai added that the questions around the development of AI are not for specific companies to answer but for society as a whole.

The recent surge in the competition in the field of artificial intelligence led by the likes of ChatGPT is prompting technology companies like Google to expedite the launch of their own products after years of research and development.

Pichai has been making this comparison for the past five years, and he has compared the upside and downside of AI with the ancient discovery of fire.

While AI has the potential to be far more capable than anything we have ever seen before, Pichai acknowledges that there are concerns to be addressed. He points out that, like fire, AI can be dangerous and has the potential to cause harm.

He emphasizes that the development of AI should not be the responsibility of engineers alone but should also include social scientists, ethicists, philosophers, and other experts.

Pichai believes that society as a whole should answer questions about how to develop AI that is beneficial to all.

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