Ramaphosa Advocates for Caution in AI Development at BRICS Summit

During the 18th BRICS Summit held on September 13 in New Delhi, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the need for a global framework to oversee artificial intelligence (AI) advancements, echoing concerns raised by leading AI executives.

Addressing participants at a session focused on global growth, Ramaphosa highlighted the transformative potential of AI across various sectors, including medicine, education, and agriculture. However, he warned of the risks associated with unchecked AI development, stressing the importance of maintaining human governance alongside technological progress. "We must neither fear AI nor approach it recklessly," he stated, underscoring the necessity of listening to AI developers who have raised alarms about potential dangers like mass surveillance and job disruption.

Calls for Global Coordination

Ramaphosa's remarks come in the wake of calls from AI leaders, including Anthropic's head Dario Amodei, for a deceleration in AI's rapid development. Amodei's essay, "We Must Pace the Frontier," advocates for strategies such as embedding evaluators in AI companies to ensure safety and establishing democratic coordination for common safety standards. Similarly, OpenAI's chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, argues for tighter constraints on AI scaling until safety is assured.

Linking AI and Climate Change

In addition to AI, Ramaphosa addressed the pressing issue of climate change during his BRICS address. He noted the escalating impacts of climate-related disasters in South Africa, such as severe flooding earlier in the year, and called for integrating disaster risk reduction into broader economic policies. Emphasizing the need for equitable access to resources, he stated that vulnerable nations must be equipped to handle future challenges while fostering inclusive growth through responsible management of critical minerals.

Source: www.dailymaverick.co.za