The Paradox of Scaling AI: New Age or Future Winter?

Manoj Harjani, Teo Yi-Ling

14 December 2021

SYNOPSIS

As AI matures, constraints to its future progress are also emerging. The question is whether this paradox will lead to another “AI winter” or provide the necessary brakes for a potential runaway train. What could this mean for Singapore’s ambition to be a “living laboratory” for global AI solutions?

Source: Pixabay

COMMENTARY

DEPENDING ON who you speak to, we are either entering an age where artificial intelligence (AI) is propelling humanity forward or are inexorably developing superintelligence that will cause an existential catastrophe. The reality of AI’s progress is far more prosaic. While there has been considerable advancement in research and in commercial applications, AI has generally been consistent in disappointing both techno-optimists and pessimists.

This does not mean that AI lacks transformative potential. Indeed, the past five years alone have witnessed significant developments, particularly in applications of machine learning. Nevertheless, as AI matures, its limitations have also come to light, ranging from biased output to ever-increasing computing resources required to train and deploy models. These limitations are not trivial as AI becomes more embedded in daily life.

Read the rest at https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/cens/the-paradox-of-scaling-ai-new-age-or-future-winter