Why Universities And Billionaires Are Uniting To Keep AI In Check

Tuesday's announcement that Stephen Schwarzman, a US private equity billionaire, donated £150 million ($189 million) to Oxford University is the latest in a growing philanthropic movement to keep artificial intelligence (AI) in check. The Stephen A Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities will incorporate a library, a concert hall, an auditorium and, most importantly, an Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence. "Technology can't be allowed to just do whatever it wants because it can," the CEO of Blackstone said in response to his donation. But he is not the only one concerned. Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, set up Luminate last year to advocate for civic empowerment, data and digital rights, financial transparency, and independent media.