Google's AI software is learning to make more AI software!
Google's AI research lab, Google Brain, is reportedly developing AI software that can create more machine learning software. The ultimate goal for designing the software is to reduce the cost of hiring experts to build machine learning software and make it more affordable and efficient in the future by spreading the benefits of the technology.
If the use of AI techniques becomes more practical, it could increase the speed at which new AIs can be built and applied across the economy. Currently, companies pay a premium to hire machine learning experts, who are few in number.
In recent months, several other groups have also reported progress in making learning software create other learning software. They include researchers at the nonprofit research institute OpenAI (co-founded by Elon Musk), MIT, the University of California, Berkeley, and Google's other AI research group, DeepMind.
However, on the other hand, creating AI that can build more AI certainly seems like a science fiction scenario that could eventually lead to a Skynet. In order to avoid some kind of Skynet-like disaster, the company plans to discourage its AI from disabling its own killswitches as it trains.
Currently, Google says its AI maker isn't far enough along to compete with engineers. However, that may no longer be the case in the coming years, given the rapid pace at which AI is developing.
