Dr. Donald C. Wunsch II
In December 2022, Dr. Donald C. Wunsch II was named founding director of the Kummer Center for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems, an avenue for S&T to contribute to one of the most dramatic technological transformations of our time. Wunsch, who joined S&T in 1999, is the Mary K. Finley Missouri Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He believes it’s an exciting time for AI, and that it’s going to become even more so. His research expertise includes unsupervised learning, also known as clustering; adaptive resonance and reinforcement learning architecture; hardware and applications; and multidisciplinary collaborations. He has more than 500 publications to his credit, including 12 books.
How will S&T look different in five years thanks to AI?
WUNSCH: AI tools don’t compare to human intelligence, but they’re helping us make complex decisions, treat diseases, and quickly understand the instructions on a package in a foreign language. In the future, combining AI with S&T’s strength in distance education will improve the learning landscape for generations to come. In addition to the new AI-focused degree offerings we’ll have in our portfolio, most if not all S&T degrees will be influenced by the impact of AI on the professions. Focusing on multidisciplinary opportunities to leverage AI in learning will offer us excellent opportunities to maximize the positive impacts of the technology.
2023 has been a big year for AI. What are your key takeaways?
WUNSCH: There’s a lot of hope and a lot of hype. The latest demonstrations are certainly cool, but they sometimes have more in common with artificial stupidity than artificial intelligence. Comparisons to general human capabilities or claims that an approach is modeled on the “human brain” are red flags. Developing capabilities that used to be the sole purview of humans has been happening for decades, so its continuation isn’t surprising. It’s a good time to ramp up one’s healthy engineering skepticism.
What are the risks of AI?
WUNSCH: Privacy is a major risk, particularly considering the ubiquity of social media and recording devices. As AI is increasingly used for decision support, its built-in bias is a problem. It also gives large organizations the potential to become more powerful than most governments.
Should AI be regulated?
WUNSCH: The push to regulate AI is understandable, but the process should be collaborative. We must help politicians choose the right guard rails. If we’re not careful, big players could raise higher barriers to entry for others. AI isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about the future of society.
What should the government consider in regulating AI?
WUNSCH: Avoid a sky-is-falling mentality, and discuss the real challenges of AI and its impact on our nation and freedoms. This includes an assessment of the tremendous potential of AI to address key social problems. We have an opportunity to contribute to enlightened AI policy — and some of the unenlightened policies recently proposed would be disastrous.