Julian Hill, a federal Labor MP, has claimed that artificial intelligence could be used for “mass destruction” in what is thought to be the first Australian parliamentary address partially produced by ChatGPT, as reported by the Guardian. The member for Bruce demanded on Monday that a white paper or investigation be conducted to examine the “risks and benefits” of AI, claiming that it may lead to academic cheating, job losses, discrimination, disinformation, and unfettered military applications.
A number of the speech’s sections were written by Hill using ChatGPT prompts, such as “please summarise recent media reports about students using artificial intelligence in Australia to cheat and explain why teachers are worried about this” and “explain in 2 minutes the risks and benefits to Australia from artificial general intelligence.”
Hill told the House of Representatives that “recently there have been media reports of students in Australia using AI to cheat on their exams”.
“AI technology, such as smart software that can write essays and generate answers, is becoming more accessible to students, allowing them to complete assignments and tests without actually understanding the material causing concern for teachers, who are worried about the impact on the integrity of the education system,” he said.
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By recommending that the Liberal opposition ask ChatGPT “is climate change real?” Hill, Australia’s most prominent politician on the TikTok social media app, subtly mocked the Liberal opposition, as reported by the Guardian.
“[Artificial general intelligence] has the potential to revolutionise our world in ways we can’t yet imagine, but if AGI surpasses human intelligence, it could cause significant harm to humanity if its goals and motivations are not aligned with our own,” he said.
Beginning in 2023, Hill urged “a focused, serious, urgent policy think,” which may take the form of a white paper, an investigation, a permanent commission, an international partnership, or a mix of things.
Experts are “spooked” by the advancement of artificial intelligence according to Prof. Stuart Russell, founder of the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence at the University of California, Berkeley, who told the Guardian in 2021 that he compares it to the development of the atom bomb and calls for more regulation.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, urged for regulation of AI in 2014, stating that he believed it to be the greatest threat to the existence of the human race.
(With inputs from agencies)
