SoftBank's Masayoshi Son says ASI could be 10,000 times smarter, making humans 'like fish'

Softbank's Son says super AI could make humans like fish, win Nobel Prize

Seoul (AFP) - Softbank CEO and AI investor Masayoshi Son said Friday that advanced artificial intelligence could surpass humans to the extent that "we become fish" and could even win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul, Son, whose SoftBank is a major backer of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, described a future in which an advanced AI surpasses humans by a magnitude of 10,000. "The difference between the human brain and the... goldfish in the pot -- the difference is 10,000 times," he said. "But it's going to be different -- we will become fish, they (the AI) become like humans," he said. "They will be 10,000 times smarter than us," he told President Lee, who had vowed to turn South Korea into an AI powerhouse. Son compared the relationship between this artificial super intelligence (ASI) and humankind to relations between human beings and their pets. "We try to make them happy... we try to live in peace with them," he said. "We don't need to eat them... ASI does not eat protein. They don't need to eat us -- don't worry." Lee responded laughing that he was "a bit concerned now". He asked Son whether ASI could win a Nobel Prize in Literature, won last year by South Korean author Han Kang. "I do not believe this is a desirable situation," Lee said. "I think it will," Son replied. ASI has been described as a hypothetical scenario when AI overtakes humans. Scientists still consider it a long way off, but say a crucial first step -- artificial general intelligence (AGI), which would outperform humans across most tasks -- could arrive within a decade.

Softbank's Son says super AI could make humans like fish, win Nobel Prize

SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son told South Korea's president that future artificial super-intelligence could be thousands of times smarter than humans -- leaving people "like fish" by comparison. He joked AI might even win a Nobel Prize in Literature. Son said ASI wouldn't threaten humans, though President Lee admitted the idea was unsettling. Softbank CEO and AI investor Masayoshi Son said Friday that advanced artificial intelligence could surpass humans to the extent that "we become fish" and could even win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul, Son, whose SoftBank is a major backer of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, described a future in which an advanced AI surpasses humans by a magnitude of 10,000. "The difference between the human brain and the... goldfish in the pot -- the difference is 10,000 times," he said. "But it's going to be different -- we will become fish, they (the AI) become like humans," he said. "They will be 10,000 times smarter than us," he told President Lee, who had vowed to turn South Korea into an AI powerhouse. Son compared the relationship between this artificial super intelligence (ASI) and humankind to relations between human beings and their pets. "We try to make them happy... we try to live in peace with them," he said. "We don't need to eat them... ASI does not eat protein. They don't need to eat us -- don't worry." Lee responded laughing that he was "a bit concerned now". He asked Son whether ASI could win a Nobel Prize in Literature, won last year by South Korean author Han Kang. "I do not believe this is a desirable situation," Lee said. "I think it will," Son replied. ASI has been described as a hypothetical scenario when AI overtakes humans. Scientists still consider it a long way off, but say a crucial first step -- artificial general intelligence (AGI), which would outperform humans across most tasks -- could arrive within a decade.

SoftBank's Son Says 'Super' AI Is Coming, It's Just a Matter of When

Artificial intelligence that's smarter than humans is just a concept for now, but SoftBank Group's chairman insists there is no doubt that the technology is coming. It's not a matter of if artificial superintelligence will come, but when, Masayoshi Son said Friday during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. "They will be 10,000 times smarter than us," said the billionaire tech investor, who has previously said he is "all in" on artificial superintelligence, or ASI. The time for ASI is now, said Son, founder of the Japanese tech conglomerate that has backed high-profile names like Alibaba and Arm. In recent years, SoftBank has been ramping up investing in AI, including via a multibillion-dollar partnership with ChatGPT provider OpenAI. Son's visit to Korea comes as many nations grow more concerned about being reliant on countries like China and the U.S. for AI--a technology increasingly viewed as critical to economic and national security. Some, like South Korea, are pushing to develop their own AI capacity. South Korea's aim is to be one of the "top three superpowers for AI," Lee said Friday, a goal he has stated repeatedly as he touts the importance of not falling behind the curve in AI. That push rests heavily on strength in chip-making. South Korea is already a global leader in semiconductors, especially in the memory space. Now it wants Son's help to go further. On Friday, the South Korean government and Arm, the SoftBank-owned fabless chip maker, said they would explore establishing a school in the country, aiming to train some 1,400 professionals to boost local engineering skills in chip-making and AI, according to South Korea's presidential office. Son also urged the country to expand the data-center network necessary for ASI and called for stronger efforts to secure the energy required to power them. The president asked Son to lead AI advancement in Asia and for his advice in areas like AI-related laws. "There is a very important area of cooperation that we are pursuing - that is AI cooperation between Korea and Japan," Lee said. "I would like to ask for your assistance to play a bridging role in our future efforts." In October, AI chip giant Nvidia struck a spate of deals with some of South Korea's biggest companies that will see its chips deployed across the country. The batch of partnerships forms part of the government's push to become an AI hub. Lee said Friday that his administration is looking to set up an AI-based society where the technology becomes basic infrastructure similar to roads or water management systems. "My government will make efforts to minimize the risks while we invest heavily on the benefits and also expect to reap the benefits," he said. Write to Megumi Fujikawa at [email protected] and Yang Jie at [email protected]