DeepMind's plan to make AI systems robust, why it's a core design issue, and how to succeed in ML

Machine learning safety work is about enablement. When you're building a bridge, responsibility for making sure it won't fall over isn't handed over to a few'bridge not falling down engineers'. Making sure a bridge is safe to use and remains standing in a storm is completely central to the design, and indeed the entire project. When it comes to artificial intelligence, commentators often distinguish between enhancing the capabilities of machine learning systems and enhancing their safety. But to Pushmeet Kohli, principal scientist and research team leader at DeepMind, research to make AI robust and reliable is no more a side-project in AI design than keeping a bridge standing is a side-project in bridge design.