Interview Gary Marcus, professor emeritus at New York University and serial entrepreneur, is the author of several books, the latest of which takes t

Gary Marcus proposes generative AI boycott to push for regulation, tame Silicon Valley

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2024-10-21 18:30:08

Interview Gary Marcus, professor emeritus at New York University and serial entrepreneur, is the author of several books, the latest of which takes the tech industry to task for irresponsibly developing generative AI and putting democracy at risk.

The Register: The title of your new book is Taming Silicon Valley: How we can ensure that AI works for us. Why does Silicon Valley need to be tamed?

Marcus: Because (a) they have lost the plot, and gone a very long way from "Don't be evil," and (b) they are becoming increasingly powerful, with almost no constraint.

The Register: Can Silicon Valley be tamed? Or does it have to exhaust itself by burning through venture capital? Even when there's clear, persistent evidence of harm – social media and public health, cryptocurrency/AI and the environment – public concern and regulatory pressure seem barely able to move the needle.

Marcus: That's why I wrote the book. We need MORE public pressure. That's what eventually greatly reduced smoking and smoking deaths. Without more public pressure, very little will be done in the US to protect citizens from increasingly invasive and problematic AI.