The EAEU summit was held in Sochi, in the Sirius Science and Art Park, on June 7-9. The program of the event included meetings of the Council of CIS Heads of Government, as well as conferences and round tables devoted to the topic of economic development. An NK correspondent managed to talk to Sergei Vladimirovich Kruglikov, Director General of the United Institute of Informatics Problems (UIIP) at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, who was present at the summit. He told our publication about the development of artificial intelligence and the impact of technology on people's lives.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION AT THE EAEU SUMMIT

"NK": You participated in the EAEU exhibition in Sochi. Please tell us what exactly you presented?

S.V .: At the exhibition, we presented a huge number of our developments. For example, a software package for automatic detection of objects of specified classes and tracking of the object of interest observed by the onboard camera of the UAV, as well as the task of detecting moving objects. It is designed to solve the above problems on small computers Khadas Vim3 Pro and Jetson TX2. In addition, we demonstrated the "Mobile Doctor Service" software, which is used to work with tablets in the intensive care unit and in the "red zone" of the hospital, as well as in other departments of the hospital, where the mobility of medical personnel and the need to obtain prompt information from the patient's electronic medical record are required. We also presented a neural network software package to support decision-making in the diagnosis of lung diseases based on X-ray and tomographic images (LungExpert). It is used to solve problems of lung segmentation, detection of neoplasms and quantitative assessment of lesions. In addition, we demonstrated computer modeling of potential drugs, a software package for visualizing three-dimensional models of architectural objects, a platform for solving problems and subtasks of AI projects - Corpus.by, an experimental sample of a set of methods and software for analyzing telemetry data and the reliability of small spacecraft.

NK: How do you rate the organization of the summit in Sochi? What did you like? What did you not like? Why?

S.V .: The figures and facts speak for themselves - over three days, the site was visited by more than 1.5 thousand delegates and media representatives from 12 countries, including the heads of state and members of government of the "five" member countries of the union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan - editor's note). This is a lot, given the status of the event and the security measures taken. In my opinion, the organizers did everything possible and impossible for the comfortable work of the summit participants.

AI LAW, CYBERSPACE AND THE REPLACEMENT OF HUMANS WITH TECHNOLOGY

"NK": The Republic of Belarus is one of the world's leaders in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). How exactly is AI related to different areas of activity?

S.V .: In this regard, I will quote the statement of the founder and chairman of the board of directors of ABBYY and Yva, David Yan, at the HI-TECH NATION forum in Minsk: "If you do not understand the role that the development of artificial intelligence plays today, tomorrow you will remain on the sidelines of history."

The areas of application of artificial intelligence are vast: medicine, industry, mechanical engineering, agriculture, education, etc.
Let's take medicine, for example - medical AI applications will be able to prevent the risk of developing certain diseases in humans and offer preventive measures. There will be programs for predictive medical monitoring using artificial intelligence.

In education, the enormous potential of AI will ensure worldwide accessibility, while minimizing or significantly reducing monetary costs. Personalized educational programs using digital content will help develop the ability to accelerate learning.
In the field of ecology and biology, we are developing a service that recognizes the voices of birds and animals. Our employees collect data, form a platform, create algorithms for processing the voices of representatives of the Belarusian fauna. This service will help both to establish the presence of certain red book bird species and to assess the state of Belarusian forests and the ecology of the country as a whole.

In the field of agriculture, an intelligent potato sorting line is actively used. The equipment recognizes and removes infected tubers from the conveyor, then sorts quality products by size. A similar experimental line also works for sorting apples. The smart machine distinguishes varieties or recognizes the presence of diseases in eight cases out of ten. The payload of the installation is 2.8 tons per hour.

And so on for each area of ​​human activity. The scope of application of AI technologies is vast, and we can talk about it endlessly. Let's answer simply - AI will find its application in all areas of human life.

"NK": Do you use AI in your everyday life? If so, how exactly?

S.V. : Let's start with the information announced at the World Economic Forum: by 2023, 75 million jobs in the world will disappear under the pressure of total digitalization and robotization of business processes. But the good news is that 133 million people will find new jobs.
I, like you and many others, have been using the intellectual component in everyday life for quite some time. This is searching for the necessary information using mobile devices and computers, optimizing the route for long distances and in cities, including traffic jams, identifying objects by barcode and QR code, determining the owner of a smartphone by fingerprint.

"NK": Currently, the neural network is developing by leaps and bounds. It is already capable of writing texts, communicating, drawing and creating musical works. Do you think technology will replace people? And in what area?

S.V .: In my opinion, AI technologies should complement people, help them, and in certain areas replace them. I cannot say anything definite, but I can imagine that technology has already begun and will continue to change the ways in which people work and interact with each other. Some routine and dangerous work has already been replaced by technical means, for example, the use of robots in industry and the automation of processes using software systems and machine learning. However, some professions still remain outside the field of view of technology and require human skill and abilities, that is, in the creative process, music, sports and other such areas that are associated with feelings, empathy and social interaction. I think that in the future there will be more jobs and opportunities for people in areas that require such skills.

"NK": Your institute won the competition to develop a unified law for the CIS countries on artificial intelligence. Please tell us what aspects will be covered in this law? How will it help develop the economy and improve the standard of living?

S.V .: The purpose of preparing the draft model law "On Artificial Intelligence" is to form a comprehensive system of legal regulation of social relations arising in connection with the development and use of AI technologies, aimed at improving the quality of life of the population, safety, and increasing the efficiency of the economy by stimulating the development, implementation and use of AI.

The main objectives of the draft model law "On Artificial Intelligence" may be: creating favorable legal and organizational conditions for the development of AI technologies, as well as promoting investment in research and development to stimulate innovation in the field of trustworthy AI; forming and developing a single market for legal, safe and trustworthy AI applications; promoting the development of accessible AI ecosystems with digital infrastructure, modern technologies and mechanisms for the exchange of data and knowledge; implementing cross-border and intersectoral cooperation in order to achieve progress in the responsible management of trusted AI. In addition, forming a positive agenda for the implementation of AI technologies, as well as increasing the digital literacy of the population, including skills in this area, ensuring a fair and optimal balance of interests between all participants in public relations in the field of AI, which combines the mechanisms of state regulation and self-regulation and is based on risk assessment to identify "high-risk" AI systems that pose a significant danger to health and safety or fundamental human rights. Also, guaranteeing the safety of using and deploying AI systems, their compliance with accepted norms and rules, respect for human rights and the creation of flexible mechanisms that allow dynamically adapting the legal framework as technologies develop and new legal relations arise, including the establishment of experimental and/or special legal regimes, including "regulatory sandboxes".

The specificity of the draft model law "On Artificial Intelligence" is the need to build a concept of advanced legal modeling and include in the rule-making process issues of assessing the technological impact, which allow minimizing the risks of unfounded decisions and avoiding the negative impact of technological advances on humanity.

"NK": In connection with the development of AI, many people are afraid that AI will become smarter than people and enslave humanity. Do you think such an outcome is possible?

S.V. : Let me answer with the words of one of the most outstanding and authoritative scientists of our time, British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking: “The real threat in the case of artificial intelligence is not that it is evil, but that it is competent. A super-intelligent mind will be extremely effective in achieving its goals, and if they do not coincide with ours, we will be in big trouble.”

Unfortunately, there are many developments in the world, let's be honest - how to more effectively destroy a potential enemy. This is where I see the danger of using AI technologies. This is exactly the direction in which the efforts of the entire world community should be directed - to prevent the uncontrolled spread of AI in the military sphere.

I will finish my answer to this question with a statement by Albert Einstein: “I fear that the day will surely come when technology will surpass simple human communication. And the world will have a generation of idiots.”

“NK”: The ability to create distinguishes humans from AI. Do you think AI will ever be able to learn creativity?

S.V .: It is generally accepted that “creativity” and “creativity” are synonymous concepts, but in the context of dialectical thinking they are not only different, but directly opposed to each other. Creative thinking suggests finding a solution without paying attention to limitations, “going beyond the boundaries,” so to speak. Creative thinking seeks an answer to a specific situation in which there is always a limitation on resources. Perhaps AI will also learn to think creatively, we will not exclude this possibility.

“NK”: It is believed that there is no limit to progress. What is your attitude to this expression?

S.V. : The concept of progress implies a progressive movement forward from a lower level of development to a higher one, from simple to more complex. One of the priority goals of humanity is to move towards sustainable development to improve the quality of life of people in all areas. Therefore, I believe that progress is an endless process of improvement and development.

"NK": Nowadays, we can notice that people are increasingly moving into virtual reality. Why do you think this is happening? Is there a limit to this? Or will cyberspace absorb humanity even more?

S.V. : The growing popularity of virtual reality is explained by several factors. Firstly, it is convenience and accessibility. With the development of technology, more and more sophisticated gadgets have begun to appear, allowing you to enjoy the virtual world right from your home. Secondly, virtual reality offers people genuine emotional and physical sensations that are not available in real life. This can be either a trip to another country or interaction with animals or fantastic creatures.

However, the absorption of humanity by cyberspace has its risks. Perhaps people will begin to shy away from the real world and lose touch with reality. In addition, there may be health problems associated with long-term stay in the virtual world, such as dizziness, nausea, headaches and even vision loss.
People's escape into virtual reality is becoming an addiction and a medical diagnosis. This is due to the destruction of social and public ties, the institution of family.

Despite all this, I think there is a limit to how much people can immerse themselves in the virtual world. It is difficult to imagine that in the future, cyberspace will become the only world in which people will live. It is important to maintain a balance between reality and virtuality and use technology to our advantage.

NK: How do you see the further development of AI?

S.V .: I see the development of AI in the following directions. This is the development of deep learning and neural networks to improve the quality of image, speech and text recognition, as well as more accurate forecasting. The development of technologies related to smart homes, transport systems and urban infrastructure, which, in turn, will lead to an increase in the level of automation and efficiency. The creation of more complex artificial intelligence systems that will be able to better understand the context and content of information, as well as make more complex decisions. The development of robotics and autonomous drones to improve production, logistics and other areas that require autonomous systems. Work on ethical and legal issues related to the use of artificial intelligence, including privacy and data security issues.

ROBOTS VS HUMANS

"NK": I would also like to touch on the topic of robots. What do you think is more dangerous: a machine that thinks like a human, or a human thinking like a computer?

S.V .: This is a difficult question. Both scenarios can pose certain threats and cause concern. If a machine thinks like a human, then the question of its emotional stability may arise. It will begin to experience fear, anger or other human emotions, which may lead to undesirable consequences.

On the other hand, if a person begins to think like a computer, then this may lead to a lack of emotional connection and understanding of relationships between people, and also limit a person's ability to empathize. In addition, if a person always follows logic and principles like a computer, then he may lose some human qualities, such as spontaneity, creativity and intuitiveness.