Yoshua Bengio Unveils LawZero: A Nonprofit Initiative for AI Safety Advancement
Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio has announced the establishment of a nonprofit AI safety lab named LawZero, aimed at creating safer artificial intelligence systems, as reported by the Financial Times on Monday.
LawZero has successfully secured $30 million in philanthropic funding from notable contributors, including Jaan Tallinn, a founding engineer of Skype, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Open Philanthropy, and the Future of Life Institute, among others. The name LawZero references a concept from science fiction: the Zeroth Law of Robotics, which prioritizes humanity’s safety above all else.
Bengio, recognized as one of the pioneers of the contemporary AI movement, has emerged as a prominent advocate for the AI safety initiative. He openly backed SB 1047, California’s contentious AI safety legislation intended to avert catastrophic outcomes caused by AI systems.
In his discussion with the Financial Times, Bengio expressed skepticism toward OpenAI and Google, doubting their commitment to safety as they pursue the development of increasingly advanced AI technologies.
