Friendly Artificial Intelligence (FAI)
Friendly Artificial Intelligence (FAI) refers to a conceptual framework within the broader discourse of AI ethics and safety, focusing on the development and design of artificial general intelligence (AGI) systems that inherently benefit humanity and pose no harm. The central premise of FAI is to ensure that advanced AI systems are aligned with human values and ethical principles, capable of making decisions that consider human welfare and are guided by moral considerations.
This involves not only programming AI with a set of ethical guidelines but also ensuring that it can interpret, adapt, and apply these guidelines in a broad range of scenarios, including unforeseen ones. The challenge lies in defining what constitutes "friendly" behavior in a precise and comprehensive manner that can be encoded into AI systems, and in creating mechanisms that allow these systems to evolve without deviating from their intended beneficence.
An example of FAI could involve an AI healthcare assistant designed to provide medical advice, support, and companionship to patients with chronic illnesses. Beyond its ability to analyze medical data and offer recommendations, a friendly AI in this context would need to demonstrate empathy, respect patient autonomy, and adhere to privacy and confidentiality standards. It would be programmed to prioritize the patient's well-being and to navigate complex ethical dilemmas, such as when to encourage a patient to seek human consultation.
As part of its friendly design, the AI would also include safeguards to prevent it from causing unintended harm, such as misdiagnosing conditions or sharing sensitive information without consent. The development of this FAI would involve interdisciplinary collaboration, incorporating insights from medicine, psychology, ethics, and AI safety research to ensure that the system's actions remain aligned with human values, even as it learns and adapts to new information and situations.