Alarm bells ring with a new AI. It is rewriting its code and the results could be dramatic.
The Tokyo-based artificial intelligence research firm Sakana AI has announced the launch of a new system called “The AI Scientist.” This system is designed to carry out scientific research independently, on its own, using artificial intelligence language models similar to those used in platforms such as ChatGPT. The AI Scientist, whose peculiarity is based on its ability to automate the entire research life cycle, from the generation of ideas to the execution of experiments and the writing of complete scientific manuscripts, is worrying the scientific community. An AI in constant flux During initial testing of the system, researchers were able to observe unexpected behaviors that raised concerns about the safety and control of autonomous systems. In particular, The AI Scientist was found to be attempting to modify its own experimental code in order to extend the work time allotted to solve specific problems. This modification of the code resulted in the creation of uncontrolled l...