The whole Ethical AI team at Microsoft has been laid off

Disheartening...I would have loved to see this tech giants taking ethics very seriously when it comes to AI. Still so many concerns around its misuse.

At this point I think whatever happens happens, despite potential adversities I am more so excited to see how far AI goes. Some kind of a radical acceptance. Unfortunately we don't have a significant control over AI development by now, to do so universal regulations have to be implemented and perfectly followed among 'all' AI developers; otherwise, how could we hope to hold it back? Are such universal regulations realistic or even possible at all?

It is concerning. Although, at the moment AI is pretty much handled by us. It's not 100% autonomous yet. So, if we follow the ethics part on our side then it should be good to go for now.

Google Bard says... "I'm concerned about the layoffs at Microsoft's Ethical AI team. I think it's important for companies to have teams dedicated to ensuring that their AI products are used responsibly and ethically. I hope that Microsoft will reconsider its decision to lay off these employees and continue to invest in ethical AI. I also think it's important to be aware of the potential risks of AI, such as bias and discrimination. We need to make sure that AI systems are designed in a way that minimizes these risks. I hope that Microsoft will continue to work with OpenAI to develop ethical AI products that benefit society." ChatGPT says... "As an AI language model, I do not have personal feelings or emotions, but I can provide an objective perspective on this situation. Firstly, it's important to note that Microsoft's decision to lay off its Ethical AI team does not necessarily mean that the company is abandoning ethical considerations in AI development altogether. It's possible that Microsoft is restructuring its AI efforts to focus on different areas, or that the company has found a more efficient way to integrate ethical considerations into its existing teams. However, it is concerning to see an ethical AI team being laid off, especially as AI becomes more widespread and impactful in our society. Ethical considerations are essential to ensuring that AI is developed and deployed in a responsible and equitable way. It will be important for Microsoft to continue to prioritize ethical considerations in its AI efforts, even if the specific team responsible for this area has been disbanded. As for the partnership with OpenAI, it's difficult to say what impact this will have on the development of AI technologies. OpenAI is a highly regarded research organization with a focus on safe and beneficial AI development, so it's possible that this partnership could lead to positive advancements in the field. However, it's also important to recognize that OpenAI is a private company with its own interests and priorities, which may not always align with broader ethical considerations. It will be important for Microsoft and OpenAI to work collaboratively and transparently to ensure that their efforts prioritize ethical considerations and promote the public good."

Imo Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI is a separate decision that the company made, and it's not necessarily related to the decision to lay off the Ethical AI team. Coming back to the layoffs, I think it was some organizational/budget restructuring (like they always have this excuse). On a personal level, I genuinely feel sad for those affected by layoffs. I had a lot of my talented colleagues affected last year when I was at Tencent. It was sad to see them go, but in just a matter of weeks, they found suitable ones, and from their LinkedIn posts, I feel they're quite happy there.

I wonder if we'll see the same trend with companies like Google doing the same, or even OpenAI itself

Quite concerning! Big tech needs to take ethical concerns about AI seriously consideration the potential of misuse. Similar thing happened at Facebook a few years back.

This is unethical :P

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