AI development should not be left to tech companies – Stephen Fry

13 September 2024

AI development should not be left to tech companies – Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry, delivering the inaugural lecture of the Living Well With Technology series from the Digital Futures Institute at King’s, warned that development of Artificial Intelligence and emergent technologies should not be left solely to tech companies.

Stephen Fry in conversation with Dr Marcus Weldon as part of his 'AI: The means to an end or a means to the end?' lecture at King's. Image: Richard Eaton.

In his the lecture AI: A means to an end or a means to the end?, the author, actor, broadcaster and comedian suggested that technology leaders and greed are the greatest threats to ensuring responsible development of AI.

He also criticised the impact social media companies have had on society, and the utopian vision he had of the platforms, "I'm the chump who thought social media could save the world."

He told the audience at the event on 12 September that our greed, pride, hatred and “moral indolence” are all dangers to society, and he said AI will disrupt and radically transform who and how we are, as “there is no corner of our lives that the waters will not seep.”

All we can do, I believe, is to persuade our leaders… by pressure from all sides. From academia, from law-enforcement, the judiciary, unions, students, pensioners, everyone who has given this a moment's consideration... All people power has to be brought to bear. Corporations are more interested in developing the capabilities of AI than its safety and that has to change.
Stephen Fry

On how to urge corporations and world leaders to put aside greed when it comes to AI, he said: “The best I can do is this - Einstein and Russell said in their manifesto on nuclear weapons - we appeal as human beings to human beings, remember your humanity and forget the rest.”

Stephen Fry was joined on stage at the Great Hall in the King’s Building on the Strand Campus by Dr Marcus Weldon, Chair, Advisory Council at the Digital Futures Institute and the 13th President of Bell Labs, and by Professor Marion Thain, Chair-Director of the Digital Futures Institute.

Artificial Intelligence will change our world in every way and so it is essential to think beyond the technical. That is why our Thought Leadership series is drawing on expertise from across all disciplines and all sectors to bring together a new conversation about the challenges and opportunities it offers.
Professor Marion Thain, Chair-Director at King’s Digital Futures Institute

We were delighted Stephen Fry delivered the first lecture in our new thought-leadership series. He eloquently demonstrates the key challenge of these new technologies — we first need to define what it means to be ‘human’ to ensure we design and implement these technologies to support human endeavour rather than to usurp it.
Dr Marcus Weldon, Chair, Advisory Council at King’s Digital Futures Institute

Find out more about the Digital Futures Institute and the Living Well with Technology series.

You can watch the full lecture now - below: