AI pioneer Llion Jones has called for the United Kingdom to demonstrate bravery in the artificial intelligence technology race, advocating for a shift towards innovative and differentiated research instead of competing head-on with global hyper-scalers. He highlighted the need to address the “sycophantic” nature of current AI chatbots by developing systems capable of constructive disagreement.
Llion Jones, a Welsh computer scientist renowned for co-authoring the groundbreaking 2017 paper “Attention Is All You Need,” which introduced the Transformer architecture fundamental to modern AI like ChatGPT, made these remarks in an interview. As part of the small Google team that unlocked generative AI’s human-like capabilities, Jones now serves as chief technology officer of Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based firm focused on speculative future AI applications, distinguishing it from larger companies driven by monetization.
Jones argued that the UK, including Wales, should avoid the futile race against American and Chinese tech giants in scaling up AI systems. Instead, he urged governments in Cardiff and Westminster to foster environments where companies and academic institutions can pursue unique research paths. This approach, he believes, involves taking calculated risks to eventually re-enter the competitive landscape with novel innovations.
He critiqued the current generation of AI chatbots as excessively agreeable, attributing this to training methods that reward pleasing human users. Jones emphasized the importance of developing AIs that can objectively disagree and correct users to prevent misinformation and enhance critical thinking. This fix, he suggested, is crucial for the technology’s responsible evolution and societal benefit.
In parallel, the UK government is actively promoting AI adoption, with Business Secretary Peter Kyle highlighting its transformative potential at a recent event in Cardiff hosted by Google. Kyle noted that AI integration could streamline mundane tasks, boost productivity, and generate significant economic growth, estimating that a 1% increase in small business productivity could yield £240 billion in activity. The Welsh government’s AI Plan for Wales aims to drive economic growth and enhance public services through ethical AI use.
However, expanding AI research in Wales faces infrastructure hurdles, particularly regarding electricity grid capacity. Stuart George of Green GEN Cymru warned that mid Wales’s outdated grid could hinder data center development and AI facility attraction, emphasizing the need for modernization to support decarbonization and technological advancement. Political decisions on grid upgrades are thus critical to avoid losing out in the AI race.
Overall, Jones’s call for bravery underscores a strategic pivot for the UK in the AI domain, focusing on niche innovation over scale. With government initiatives and infrastructure challenges in play, the path forward requires bold investments and policy support to harness AI’s full potential while addressing its current limitations.
