There is no doubt that artificial intelligence – or AI – has become an important part of our lives. It is no longer just a thing of science fiction: it's an incredible technological breakthrough that has changed the way we live. But there are fears that AI has become too intelligent and could be a threat to humanity.

毫无疑问，人工智能 - 或 AI - 已经成为我们生活的重要组成部分。 它不再只是科幻小说中的事物：它是一项令人难以置信的技术突破，改变了我们的生活方式。 但有人担心人工智能已经变得过于智能，可能对人类构成威胁。

This claim might sound extreme, but a letter signed by more than 1,000 technology experts, including Tesla boss Elon Musk, called on the world to press pause on the development of more advanced AI because of the risks. Estonian billionaire Jaan Tallinn, for example, who helped develop communication app Skype, thinks we should be cautious. And The Future of Life Institute, a not-for-profit organisation, says that there should be a temporary pause in advanced AI development, saying that "AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity."

这种说法听起来可能有些极端，但包括特斯拉老板埃隆·马斯克在内的 1000 多名技术专家联名联名的一封信呼吁世界暂停开发更先进的人工智能，因为存在风险。 例如，帮助开发通讯应用程序 Skype 的爱沙尼亚亿万富翁 Jaan Tallinn 认为我们应该谨慎。 非营利组织生命未来研究所 (The Future of Life Institute) 表示，高级人工智能的开发应该暂时暂停，并称“具有人类竞争情报的人工智能系统会对社会和人类构成深远的风险。”

This pessimistic outlook is supported by a report by investment bank Goldman Sachs that says AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. But it may also mean new jobs and a productivity boom. We may argue that AI such as chatbots can help us. State-of-the-art ChatGPT, for example, has been helping some students write assignments. AI is allowing computers to think or act in a more human way. And machine learning means computers can learn what to do without being given explicit instructions. The technology is impressive, but as it starts to think for itself, will it outsmart us?

这种悲观的前景得到了投资银行高盛的一份报告的支持，该报告称人工智能可以取代相当于 3 亿个全职工作岗位。 但这也可能意味着新的就业机会和生产力的繁荣。 我们可能会争辩说，聊天机器人等人工智能可以帮助我们。 例如，最先进的 ChatGPT 一直在帮助一些学生编写作业。 AI 允许计算机以更人性化的方式思考或行动。 机器学习意味着计算机可以在没有明确指示的情况下学习该做什么。 这项技术令人印象深刻，但当它开始独立思考时，它会比我们聪明吗？

Some people are more optimistic. AI advocates say the tech is already delivering real social and economic benefits for people. Meanwhile, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has called on governments to work with industry to "limit the risks" of AI. But he says the technology could save lives, particularly in poorer countries. He says, "Just as the world needs its brightest people focused on its biggest problems, we will need to focus the world's best AIs on its biggest problems." If this happens, maybe humanity will have a future.

有些人更乐观。 人工智能倡导者表示，该技术已经为人们带来了真正的社会和经济利益。 与此同时，微软创始人比尔盖茨呼吁政府与业界合作，以“限制人工智能的风险”。 但他表示，这项技术可以挽救生命，尤其是在较贫穷的国家。 他说：“正如世界需要最聪明的人专注于最大的问题一样，我们也需要让世界上最好的人工智能专注于最大的问题。” 如果发生这种情况，也许人类会有未来。

词汇表

artificial intelligence 人工智能，简称 “AI”
science fiction 科幻小说、电影等作品
breakthrough 重大进展，突破
humanity 人类
press pause 按下暂停键，叫停
advanced 先进的
communication app 通讯应用程序
human-competitive 拥有与人类竞争能力的
profound 重大的，深刻的
replace 取代，代替
productivity 生产率
chatbot 聊天机器人
state-of-the-art 最先进的，应用最新技术的
machine learning 机器学习
impressive 给人留下深刻印象的
outsmart 在智力上胜过，比…更聪明
advocate 支持者，提倡者
brightest 最聪明的