Researchers look for ways for humans to maintain control over artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is designed to put us out of the picture. Still, we shouldn't fret since a recently published study discovered how humans can be on top of things in systems that rely on AI. The study, carried out by researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), explained that while AI will always find ways to bypass human intervention and build an independent solution, operators must look for ways to keep themselves above the machines and prevent them from circumventing human command. The solution that the researchers found was to change the rules midstream: To borrow a psychological term, instead of punishing AI for learning the process and gaining independence, operators opined that they be one step ahead of the machines and keep leading them by moving the proverbial carrot. In AI, machines are programmed to learn from their tasks -- the do an activity, observe what happens, adapt their behavior, and apply it to the next action.