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Etching AI Controls Into Silicon Could Keep Doomsday at Bay


As the US and other countries ponder how to prevent dangerous uses of AI, some researchers suggest building limitations into crucial chips like GPUs to cap the power of algorithms.

A report published earlier this month by the Center for New American Security, an influential US foreign policy think tank, outlines how carefully hobbled silicon might be harnessed to enforce a range of AI controls. The paper suggests harnessing similar features built into GPUs—or etching new ones into future chips—to prevent AI projects from accessing more than a certain amount of computing power without a license. Fist of CNAS says that although hard-coding restrictions into computer hardware might seem extreme, there’s precedent in establishing infrastructure to monitor or control important technology and enforce international treaties.

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