Artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to a promising future and is not to be feared, renowned physicist Dr. Michio Kaku told a packed house as the keynote speaker for the 2024 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo on Monday, March 4.
Targeting his message to his audience with references to corrosion and the future of construction, the professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York presented his vision of a future paved by AI and nanotechnology.
AI: A Glorified Tape Recorder?
Speaking at the conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Kaku doused fears of a future led by out-of-control AI. Instead, he contends that scientists view chatbots and other forms of AI as similar to a tape recorder.
“A tape recorder faithfully records the human voice, and then you can chop it up and reassemble it to create something new,” Kaku says.
“A chatbot goes into this gigantic structure called the Internet, isolates what you want, chops it up, splices it together, and puts it out for you,” he adds. “So, chatbots are nothing to be afraid of. They are simply glorified tape recorders. They don’t think. They’re not original.”
Eyes and Ears to Spot Decay
Photo: Kaku Thomas March 4.jpg
Caption: Dr. Michio Kaku was introduced and called to the stage by Alan Thomas, CEO of AMPP. Photo courtesy of AMPP.
The author, whom AMPP CEO Alan Thomas called “one of the world’s leading scientific figures,” envisions a future where structures with embedded sensors will report their own incidences of corrosion.
Furthermore, cars will potentially be able to tell their owners when internal engines begin to suffer from wear and tear.
“Now we have artificial intelligence, eyes and ears around the world that can spot the decay of our infrastructure without having to see bridges fall down,” Kaku says. “And this is not just bridges. It affects society in general.”
Feedback by AMPP Attendees
Attendee Melinda Fagundes of Richland, Washington, found Kaku’s talk enlightening.
“He did a really good job of explaining things in layman’s terms for us, because we’re not all theoretical physicians,” Fagundes says.
“It’s amazing to think that these changes could be coming so quickly, but technology’s been advancing exponentially,” she surmised. “The future is coming, and we have to get on board or get off the ride.”
Thomas largely echoed those assessments.
“We were honored to have Dr. Kaku as our 2024 keynote speaker,” Thomas says. “His extensive expertise in the realms of science and futurism, coupled with his adeptness at conveying complex ideas in an accessible manner, positioned him perfectly for our event.”
Editor’s note: Some content from this article was originally published in AMPP’s 2024 Show Daily. For more information on conference activities, visit our Show Daily web page.