Former Yahoo chief on the biggest risk of AI

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Former Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer believes that major advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) vis-a-vis how people respond to it are the “biggest risk” of the developing technology
“When you have got a machine that is almost as intelligent as humans, the odds that humans end up getting fooled that it’s real — that it isn’t a machine — just gets higher,” Mayer said, per The Associated Press.
“When you have people who can’t tell what’s real anymore and what’s authentic because the machine intelligence is now approximating the human intelligence, that is really the biggest risk,” said Mayer, who now runs an AI startup called Sunshine.
Mayer’s worries echo those of the Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, who already warned that AI systems could become smarter than humans realize and take control, posing an existential threat. “I think in five years time it may well be able to reason better than us,” he said.
Amid its risks, Mayer emphasized the potential of AI to streamline mundane activities and boost productivity. “Our thesis for the company is there are just a lot of mundane tasks that just get in the way… We think by applying AI – not even necessarily in cutting edge ways — you can both solve valuable problems and you can give people back time. You can also build their confidence in AI.”
Accenture’s previous research indicates that generative AI could impact 44% of all working hours across industries in the U.S., unlock greater productivity across 900 different types of jobs, and create at least $8 trillion in global economic value.
Digital playgrounds
On the other hand, professional services giant Deloitte advised companies to have “digital playgrounds” where employees can safely experiment with new technologies since it could help adapt the workforce to AI.
Ex-Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer discusses the current tech scene from vantage point of her AI startup https://t.co/lLSxXWsVFi
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 21, 2024
Meanwhile, reflecting on her tenure at Yahoo and the broader tech industry, Mayer acknowledged the progress and setbacks in promoting women to leadership roles.
She also revisited her decision to end widespread remote work at Yahoo, clarifying it was a move to address specific challenges rather than a blanket statement against remote working. Mayer highlighted the importance of office presence in fostering company culture and alignment, especially in a turnaround situation.
“I think it is really hard to join an organization that is fully remote because that notion of culture gets lost — things like how to grow management, leadership, vision, the ability to align people around a product and plan around what you are trying to build.”
Many companies like Meta, Google, and Salesforce have tightened return-to-office (RTO) requirements amid a difficult economic climate, contrasting with earlier perks allowing location flexibility.
Multinational technology corporation International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has instructed all managers in the United States to report in person to an office or client location at least three days per week, regardless of current remote work arrangements.
German software company SAP SE is facing internal backlash over its recent policy requiring employees to work from the office three days per week starting in April.
A ResumeBuilder.com survey found that 91% of companies will require employees to go into the office at least monthly this year. In comparison, 75% will mandate at least weekly office work, as 63% of executives have seen productivity improvements since implementing mandatory RTO policies.