AI Experts Highlight Potential ‘Extinction-Level’ Threats from Artificial Intelligence
A prominent group of AI researchers, engineers, and professors have issued a statement emphasizing the pressing dangers associated with artificial intelligence, even suggesting the possibility of extinction. This “Statement on AI Risk,” available on the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) website, contends that the “threat of extinction due to AI should rank alongside other global-scale threats like pandemics and nuclear warfare.”
While some might dismiss such a claim as an exaggeration, the credibility of the signatories makes it a matter of grave concern. Among those who have endorsed the statement are Demis Hassabis (CEO of Google Deepmind), Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), and Dario Amodei (CEO of Anthropic). Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneering figure in AI and a Turing Award recipient, also signed the statement. Hinton recently left Google to more openly discuss AI’s potential hazards.
CAIS’s mission revolves around “minimizing large-scale threats from artificial intelligence.” The organization asserts that the safety aspects of AI are “alarmingly overlooked” and that our society is “woefully unprepared to address AI-related risks.” To combat this, CAIS is fostering a research environment and offering guidance to industry frontrunners and decision-makers, aiming to set the groundwork for the “secure and conscientious implementation of AI.”
For 30+ years, I've been committed to protecting people, businesses, and the environment from the physical harm caused by cyber-kinetic threats, blending cybersecurity strategies and resilience and safety measures. Lately, my worries have grown due to the rapid, complex advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Having observed AI's progression for two decades and penned a book on its future, I see it as a unique and escalating threat, especially when applied to military systems, disinformation, or integrated into critical infrastructure like 5G networks or smart grids. More about me, and about Defence.AI.
