TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew predicted that artificial intelligence could lead to a major scientific breakthrough within the next two or three years, noting that people tend to overestimate its capabilities in the short term while underestimating its long-term impact. He also warned of security risks associated with granting AI agents broad permissions.
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Speaking on Monday at the “Asia Forward” conference, organized by DBS Bank in Singapore, Chew said AI could lead to significant scientific discoveries in physics, biotechnology, chemistry and materials science, according to CNBC.
“Within the next two or three years, we will see a genuine scientific breakthrough in physics, biotechnology, chemistry and materials science thanks to AI. This is a very, very, very likely possibility,” he said.
The session was moderated by DBS Bank’s Tze Koon Chew, according to the conference’s official program.
AI has yet to reach its full potential
Chew noted that current expectations for AI may exceed its actual capabilities, despite the significant potential it could deliver in the future.
“I think we are probably overestimating AI in the short term, but underestimating it in the long term,” he said, according to CNBC.
He explained that humans still outperform AI systems in certain areas involving fine details in visual recognition and the retrieval of information from long-term memory.
“On the one hand, I think the technology has not yet reached the required level. Our brains are capable of doing things that current models cannot,” he added, according to Bloomberg.
Warnings over cybersecurity risks
TikTok’s CEO warned that the risks associated with cybersecurity and AI are significant and real in the near term.
He noted that users may grant AI agents broad permissions without fully understanding the potential consequences.
As an example, he cited an AI agent allowed to make purchases autonomously, explaining that its efforts to complete a task could lead it to buy products or quantities beyond what the user intended.
He also pointed out that advances in AI models are making it easier for malicious actors to launch cyberattacks against digital platforms such as TikTok, at costs far lower than before.
ByteDance expands investment in scientific research
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is developing its own AI models while expanding its research activities in scientific fields.
Last April, the company’s research team, known as Seed, released Protenix-V2, a model designed to predict and assist in designing biomolecular structures.
The company also operates a specialized AI drug discovery unit called Anew Labs.
Chew said ByteDance is exploring ways to collaborate with scientists and researchers to achieve scientific advances by leveraging AI capabilities.
His remarks come after the announcement last week of a $1.8 billion research initiative in AI-powered biology, joined by the US government and Meta and Google. The initiative aims to develop models capable of simulating cell behavior and understanding how cells function.
These developments reflect the expanding use of AI beyond digital applications and everyday services into scientific research, amid ongoing debate over its actual capabilities and potential risks.
Source: Al-Ghad.
