Why are there concerns AI could threaten humanity?
BBC News
In Recent Weeks, Warnings About AI’s Potential Have Surped Calls for Regulation
By Liv McMahon, Technology Reporter
Published 29 minutes ago
In recent weeks, warnings about potential dangers of AI have spurred calls for coordinated action to slow the technology’s development. Claims by current and former researchers that the tech will endanger humanity—with one suggesting there is a greater than 10% chance of it "killing all humans"—have raised alarm bells. Major developers OpenAI and Anthropic have urged lawmakers to regulate it, though some suggest this move aims to cement their dominance over rivals. Regardless, the high-profile claims have caused concern.
Why Do Some People Think AI Could Be a Threat?
Some AI researchers say there are worrying signs of systems developing in their capabilities and power too quickly. Evan Hubinger made headlines with his belief that there is a greater than 10% chance AI "could kill all humans" within the next decade. He works in alignment, a field which aims to build human ethical ideas and principles into AI. While he said the risk from current systems was "low", his comments came as another researcher quit Anthropic and warned those developing the tech were losing their grip on it.
"We’re genuinely frightened," Jacob Coxon told the BBC, "about the speed of advancements and what it could mean for humanity."
These concerns are not new; worries about AI’s potential to threaten humanity date back decades, with Alan Turing writing in the 1950s that should intelligent machines become possible, they could take control.
How Do Experts Think AI Could Threaten Humanity?
AI researchers, experts, and bosses worried about the technology’s potential have outlined unsettling scenarios. Dario Amodei wrote in September it had advanced "drastically faster" than expected, including in its "ability to build the next generation of AI." This fear stems from the idea that once AI reaches a certain point, it could theoretically begin improving itself without human involvement.
"There is a possibility of human extinction," said a former Anthropic employee.
These concerns were further ignited by a recent incident… (the text continues)
