“Risk of Extinction”: Sam Altman compares AI risks to nuclear wars

Es is a stark warning from a very prominent place: A group of scientists and managers, including Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, has now issued a statement warning that artificial intelligence (AI) poses a “risk of extinction” for humanity. It should be a “global priority” to mitigate this risk, like other risks affecting society as a whole, such as pandemics and nuclear war. This is the latest warning about AI risks, coming in part from the industry itself.

In March there was already an open letter with representatives from research and industry, in which a six-month moratorium on work on particularly advanced AI systems was called for. This letter was signed by Elon Musk, CEO of the electric car manufacturer Tesla, who also once co-founded Open AI. Similar tones were struck in it with a view to possible AI risks, although the choice of words in the statement that has now been published is even more dramatic.

Dark sides become visible

The new warning also carries particular weight because Sam Altman has endorsed it. Since Open AI caused a sensation with the introduction of its AI language model ChatGPT last November, there has been increased competition in the industry for the development of such technologies, and at the same time the discussion about any downsides has gained additional urgency.

The new warning was issued by the Center for AI Safety, a not-for-profit organization that describes its mission as reducing AI risks to society. The statement has around 350 signatures, including Sam Altman and a number of other prominent names. For example, Demis Hassabis, the CEO of the AI ​​laboratory Deepmind, which belongs to the Internet group Google, and several top managers of the software group Microsoft, which maintains a close alliance with Open AI.

At the top of the signatures is Geoffrey Hinton, who is considered a pioneer in this field and is often called the “godfather of artificial intelligence”. Hinton used to work for Google, but since leaving the company a few weeks ago he has repeatedly publicly warned about AI risks in somber language. He has already drawn a comparison with nuclear weapons.

Among other things, the rapid advances in AI systems are raising concerns that such tools will facilitate the spread of propaganda and make millions of jobs redundant. Some warnings, such as the statement now published, go so far as to portray AI as threatening the very existence of mankind. As Sam Altman said in a recent testimony before Congress, “If something goes wrong with this technology, it can go very wrong.”

Although Altman has spoken out in favor of comprehensive regulation, he has rejected a moratorium, as Musk has called for. Musk is no longer associated with Open AI, but it was recently revealed that he has founded a new AI company of his own.