Bill Nye inquired about how AI can help avoid the end of the world. Here’s what ‘The Science Guy’ said

Bill Nye, ‘The Science Guy’ says he is less worried about artificial intelligence ending the world than giant solar flares. “Outrage” over use of generative AI by students in school doesn’t bother the celebrity educator either. “This is just what’s going to be,” Nye said at the Technology Summit on AI. And in response to a series of questions based on a Google Bard prompt, Nye told the AI how it can help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Nye worked as an engineer at Boeing during a period of rapid changes in aviation control systems and the need to make sure that the outputs from new systems were understood. And going all the way back to the days of the steamship engine innovation, Nye says that “control theory” has always been a key to the introduction of new technology. It will be no different with artificial intelligence. While not an AI expert, Nye said the basic problem everyone should be concerned about with AI design is that we can understand what’s going into the computer systems, but we can’t be sure what is going to come out. Social media was an example of how this problem already has played out in the technology sector. 

Nye claims that the rapid rise of AI means “everyone in middle school all the way through to getting a PhD. in comp sci will have to learn about AI.” But he isn’t worried about the impact of the tech on students, referencing the “outrage” surrounding the calculator. “Teachers got used to them; everyone has to take tests with calculators,” he said. “This is just what’s going to be. ... It’s the beginning, or rudiments, of computer programming.” More important in making people who are not computer literate understand and accept AI is good design in education. “Everyone already counts on their phone to tell them what side of the street they are on,” Nye said. “Good engineering invites right use. People throw around ‘user-friendly’ but I say ‘user figure- outtable.’”