Laurence Moroney, Google’s AI Lead has given the annual Rewley Lecture, and said humans have nothing to fear, with the hype of an AI revolution on the cusp.
Laurence set out the benefits of machine learning to a crowded Sheldonian Theatre, giving the example of detecting diabetes as a way in which, this technology can achieve breakthroughs which have not yet been possible. These machines can identify patterns in data and make sense of it, which is a significant development that will have wide ranging benefits in ways that we are not yet even aware of, he says.
In his presentation Hope and Hype, he touched on the social anxiety that has been caused by the introduction of AI into mainstream culture; with the specific case of ChatGPT, Laurence said that ‘we have nothing to fear’, as this software still ‘relies on human creativity and is not in itself, factually accurate’. Platforms such as ChatGPT are generative and provide outcomes that are probabilistic, based on what already exists on the internet, which as we know, contains plenty of false information. Humans therefore will always have an integral role in the way in which this technology is used and how it can develop.
Outlining the differences between artificial intelligence and machine learning, Laurence put it simply, saying that ‘AI is a concept and machine learning is the technique’. He belives that businesses will soon use this technology to increase productivity, and then ultimately, that new solutions will be thought of, bringing new capabilities into existence.
During the one-hour talk, Laurence also discussed how Google has developed a similar product to ChatGPT, which it has called Bard, and will likely soon be commonplace to many.
In the incredible setting of the Sheldonian Theatre, and open to members of the public, approximately 500 people, including Saïd Business School alumni, current students from across Oxford and the local community, gathered for the annual lecture series. It was hosted by the School’s Dean, Soumitra Dutta, and Andrew Stephen, Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research, and L’Oreal Professor of Marketing.
You can watch the whole event below: