"Technological progress cannot be stopped, but we must understand the consequences": Vladimir Putin on the use of artificial intelligence
Vladimir Putin spoke at the plenary session of the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club. This year's theme is "Responsibility for the Future: Limits of the Possible or Possibilities Without Limits?"
In his address, the head of state noted the growing role of artificial intelligence in a wide range of fields, including defence. At the same time, Vladimir Putin stressed the need for a careful and responsible approach to the uncontrolled growth of the capabilities of digital algorithms.
"As artificial intelligence technologies continue to be introduced, their role will grow, and algorithms will take on increasing responsibility, especially since humans, of course, cannot compete with a machine's ability to analyse a situation virtually instantaneously. But humans possess other qualities — instinct, intuition, and the ability to make non-obvious decisions that may ultimately prove to be the only correct and even life-saving ones," emphasised Vladimir Putin.
During the discussion, the President noted that artificial intelligence should remain a tool in human hands, while final decisions should remain with people. As an illustration, he cited an example from recent history:
"September 1983. Missile officer Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov was on combat duty when he received a signal from the missile attack warning system. The system detected the launch of five American intercontinental ballistic missiles. Any algorithm would have classified this as an unequivocal reason for a retaliatory strike. But the experienced officer doubted the accuracy of the signal, suspected a system failure and turned out to be right. Had artificial intelligence been in his place, things could have unfolded very differently."
Vladimir Putin also compared the capabilities of the human brain and artificial intelligence. According to the head of state, neural networks possess a greater volume of active knowledge and can produce the required result faster. However, they use far greater resources to do so. The need to provide energy for artificial intelligence processes is already creating difficult challenges in the allocation of power-generating capacity.
"In my view, combining human capabilities with a tool such as artificial intelligence will produce the greatest effect. That is why we will need people who know how to use artificial intelligence, but it would be very good if we developed rules for using this mechanism in the interests of all humanity in a timely manner," emphasised Vladimir Putin.
The plenary session of the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club took place on the fourth and final day of the event. For the first time, the Club's flagship event is being held at the National Centre RUSSIA. The broadcast is available on the website and on the National Centre's social media accounts.
