AI Panel Discussion AI Panel Discussion A series of six lectures on artificial intelligence and ethics, organized by the "Petar Mandic" Foundation, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia and Matica Srpska, concluded on December 22, 2023, with a panel discussion. Final Panel Discussion on Artificial Intelligence and Ethics The panel participants were Academician Vladan Devedzic, Prof. Dr Dragan Novkovic, Presbyter Dr Oliver Subotic and Dr Branislav Kisacanin, while the discussion moderator was Prof. Dr Andreja Tepavcevic. The panel was opened with a welcoming speech by Nikola Puric, President of the Board of Directors of the "Petar Mandic" Endowment. Present: AI – pro et contra Legislation must catch up with technology The discussion on the achievements of artificial intelligence at the present moment was started by Dr Branislav Kisacanin, emphasizing that, based on what the media is promoting, we should be afraid and worried about the future. However, the speaker emphasizes that the media, out of their interests, are promoting a story that is not realistic. Dr. Kisacanin emphasizes the need for strict legal regulation so that general artificial intelligence does not go astray, stating that legislation must catch up with technology and that Europe has already passed the first series of laws on artificial intelligence. Concentrated action - scattered reaction Prof. Dr Dragan Novkovic emphasizes that artificial intelligence is here, released to the public, and that the action related to its development is concentrated. The reaction to that development is very scattered and consists of individual thoughts out of fear and concern. As a key point in thinking about artificial intelligence, the speaker emphasizes whether we form a single entity that claims to become the supreme authority. The two sides of AI legislation Speaking about legislation related to artificial intelligence, academician Vladan Devedzic emphasizes that it has two sides. One side is that laws attempt to control some phenomena, which is in the interest of all of us, and the other can be dangerous because it can limit the development of artificial intelligence. The participant in the discussion also expressed the view that it takes many years to pass laws, that technology is developing much faster, and that legislation can hardly keep up with the speed of artificial intelligence development. The Importance of a Critical View of AI Presbyter Dr Oliver Subotic emphasizes the importance of a pro et contra perspective and a critical view of artificial intelligence. The panelist highlights the early diagnosis of diseases, the replacement of humans in inhumane working conditions, and the prediction of natural disasters as three key benefits of this technology. He considers the combination of artificial intelligence with nuclear technology, a mass surveillance system, and the concept of total automation of processes in society to be unacceptable uses of artificial intelligence. Past: An in-depth look at the phenomenon of AI in the context of the history of human thought AI as a product of the scientific and technological development of this civilization The topic was opened by Prof. Dr Dragan Novkovic, who stated that artificial intelligence is a product of this civilization's scientific and technological development, characterizing science in the modern sense as materialistic, quantitative, and mechanistic. The panellist emphasizes that our civilization has experienced very rapid technological development, but at a qualitative level, we do not have a fundamental understanding of any fundamental phenomena such as electricity, magnetism, gravity, or inertia. Statistical and cognitive paradigm cycles Academician Vladan Devedzic expressed his view on the existence of two paradigms in the development of artificial intelligence – cognitive (symbolic) and statistical (numerical), and that the paradigm cycles alternate but that the numerical paradigm has been on the scene for a very long time, and no one knows how it will develop. The speaker recently emphasized that the cognitive paradigm is starting to come to people's attention again as something that could use and improve the numerical one and that we can get the best of both. Rationalist method - the foundation of today's science In his reflection on the past of artificial intelligence, presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotic emphasizes that Rene Descartes developed the foundation of today's science and introduced the rationalist method, emphasizing the brain. According to Dr. Subotic, Descartes, with his overemphasized rationalism, laid the foundations of the concept of artificial intelligence long before Leibniz. Dr Oliver Subotic sees the roots of artificial intelligence in the idea that by mirroring what we can know about the functioning of our brain, we can create some analogue of human intelligence. He emphasizes that neuroscience should not be forgotten in the context of the past development of artificial intelligence. We should take advantage of a favourable situation Dr Branislav Kisacanin concludes the second topic by suggesting that perhaps it is not so important that we cannot define fundamental things and do not have a good definition of artificial intelligence. According to him, our country is in a favourable situation regarding the development of new technology, and it should be used. The Future: Utopian and Dystopian Views in the Domain of AI Development Predictions about the Doomsday of the World Sensationalistic On what awaits us in the future when it comes to the development of artificial intelligence, academician Vladan Devedzic conveys the opinion of a famous scientist from Stanford, whose position is that a large group of people work, achieve results, and develop functional systems without exposing themselves. In contrast, a small group of people expose themselves very much and loudly, aided by sensationalist journalism, suggesting that the end of the world will come. Prof. Dr Vladan Devedzic also predicts that the ratio of the number of jobs that will be lost due to artificial intelligence to the number of jobs that will appear due to the same technology is 1:5. The problem in conquering the inner, not the outer space of man Presbyter Dr Oliver Subotic emphasizes that he is not a supporter of general, utopian, or dystopian perspectives. He doubts that dystopian predictions will be a realistic sequence of events, but he does not agree with utopian ones either because a person must not be reduced to the information content of his brain—this, in his opinion, is the degradation of people. Dr Subotic does not consider the main problem of the development of artificial intelligence to be the danger that it will conquer our external spaces because artificial intelligence will always be under the control of people. He indicates the main danger is that humans' internal spaces will be attacked. An important pragmatic view of the future Dr Branislav Kisacanin emphasizes the importance of a pragmatic view of the future, not the simplified and completely defeatist one offered by the media, which does not provide information or advice. He advocates that those who in the future (which is neither dark nor utopian) do not want to use modern tools will be unable to function correctly. If AI is not for the joy and benefit of humans, we have a problem Professor Novkovic concludes the topic on the future of artificial intelligence with the view that if artificial intelligence is for the benefit of humans, it is fine. If not, then we have a problem. Will machines replace or change humans? We need to work on building a critical way of thinking Dr Oliver Subotic started the debate on the last topic with the statement that the so-called "white collars" (analytical and thought processes) are the most affected by the development of new technology. In contrast, "blue collars" (coordination and typical crafts) survive and will survive. The speaker emphasizes whether artificial intelligence will change us as a more important question than whether it will replace us. According to him, we have already changed today if we consider some of the consequences of the influence of information technologies. Our main task is to work on the people around us in our context (family, professorial, spiritual) to build a critical way of thinking because only in this way can we be safe in this domain. We need to know how and what will change with the development of AI Dr Branislav Kisacanin believes that machines will not replace us for a long time but that how we behave depends on our environment, which is changing through new technology. As the panelist argues, what worries us all is the speed at which we are changing, but to be well prepared and positioned, we need to know how and what will change under the influence of artificial intelligence. People are much more powerful beings than they are told Dr Dragan Novkovic emphasizes that people are much more potent than they are told, which has nothing to do with machines. In his opinion, we need to answer who we are, what we are and how far we can go, and then we will "negotiate" with the machines. He emphasizes giving each individual a chance to develop to their full capacity and see what we could do with the machines. AI will both replace and change us in some things Academician Devedzic emphasizes that machines will replace us in some things and that the question we do not know the answer to is - at what speed because things are accelerating. He also emphasized that artificial intelligence will change us in some things, but he did not engage in predictions. At the end of the panel discussion, which concluded a series of six lectures on artificial intelligence and ethics, the attendees were addressed by Dr Branislav Kisacanin on behalf of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia, and by Vladimir Obucina, the director on behalf of the "Petar Mandic" Endowment. They expressed their gratitude to Matica Srpska for the hospitality and high-level cooperation, as well as their hope that this series of lectures is just the beginning of a dialogue between science, religion and philosophy. The director of the Endowment, Vladimir Obucina, took the opportunity to present the book Tesla: A Spiritual Figure to Jovana Mandic, a participant in the competition for student scholarships awarded by the Foundation, as a prize for an exceptional essay written about Nikola Tesla's mother. The series of lectures on the topic of artificial intelligence was reported by Radio-Television Vojvodina in its Vojvodina Daily. 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