How to avoid the next Mark Zuckerberg (and worse) Nintendo, we need to talk! “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” review

Nearly two decades ago, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook with a purported vision of connecting people around the world.

But his real intent and business strategy was different. The internal motto that “Zuck” gave his team was “Move fast and break things”, or translated: Move fast and break things. It meant that they consciously accepted social collateral damage because economic growth took precedence.

Today, the metacorporation’s platforms are a breeding ground for hate, disinformation, and manipulation. And we need to learn from the shortcomings of politics at the time to avoid similar problems with generative AI.

The unchecked rise of Facebook and Co. should serve as a warning: never underestimate the profit motive of companies and do not let the main profiteers soothe you with soothing words.

If Silicon Valley’s history has taught us anything, it’s that innovation must come with regulation. A few years ago, OpenAI was founded as a responsible non-profit organization whose “principal duty is loyalty to humanity” – not far from Zuckerberg’s vision.

Now OpenAI is a $30 billion company leading the risky AI arms race with ChatGPT. And next to Sam Altman, the company’s CEO, Zuckerberg could soon look like a schoolboy.

The 38-year-old head of OpenAI has publicly stated that he is in favor of strict regulation of generative AI. But that could also just be a PR facade.

Something similar has already been observed on Facebook and other tech giants. Its high-ranking representatives vociferously demanded tougher rules — and secretly funded multimillion-dollar lobbying campaigns to prevent them.

Don’t get me wrong, artificial intelligence has the potential to do a lot of good, but we’ve also seen how AI chatbots can spread fake news and endanger the health of children and adults. Several companies are now also testing AI search capabilities, making it difficult to find reliable sources online.

Of particular concern is the feared influence of AI on our western democratic systems. There are no clear rules for the use of AI in political processes, which encourages manipulation and disinformation.

Whether in the US or on the old continent, many politicians with government responsibilities or in legislative positions have so far reacted only hesitantly (or not at all). We now need independent, digitally savvy consumer protection authorities to monitor the new AI products and ensure safety and data protection.

Another important step is to enforce a digital labeling requirement: platform operators should be forced to only allow watermarked AI-generated content.

In addition, it is important to involve as many different voices as possible in the public discussion about AI regulation, especially the young people who are most affected by such technologies.

My personal conclusion, after dealing with generative AI for several months: we shouldn’t follow Zuckerberg’s destructive mantra. The long-term well-being and stability of society are paramount. Politicians must act now to prevent irreversible damage. Anyone who refuses is out of place.

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