Calls by AI industry leaders for a slowdown in advanced AI development have been met with suspicion and criticism, according to the Guardian, amid a heated safety debate sparked by whistleblower warnings.
Key facts
- Anthropic's boss has put forward plans to boost AI safety, which drew a largely negative response.
- OpenAI's boss and Elon Musk have backed a slowdown on what they called 'reckless' AI development.
- Resigning Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned that AI builders 'earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.'
- The concern centres on artificial superintelligence, an as-yet-nonexistent technology that would outcompete humans in most domains.
- Reaction has spanned the Trump administration and AI experts.
A push by AI industry leaders to slow down advanced AI development has been met with skepticism and suspicion, according to the Guardian, in a debate the outlet said should ‘come with a health warning: side effects include whiplash.’
The controversy was ignited when whistleblowers last week warned that the most advanced AI poses an existential threat to humanity. Plans by the boss of Anthropic to boost safety spawned a largely negative response, ranging from the Trump administration to AI experts, the Guardian reported.
The shift in tone has been sharp. The Guardian noted that only seven days earlier, AI enthusiasts were cheerily toying with OpenAI’s newest model, GPT-6 Astra, which was marketed in part as a lifestyle tool to help people book tennis courts, run fashion companies and order takeaways.
By the following Wednesday, cutting-edge AI began to look far less appealing. Resigning Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned that ‘the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,’ according to the Guardian.
Coxon was referring to artificial superintelligence, which the Guardian described as an as-yet-nonexistent version of the technology that outcompetes humans in most domains. His comments, and a chorus of experts that echoed him, ‘jangled plenty of nerves,’ the report said.
The Guardian also reported that OpenAI’s boss and Elon Musk have backed a slowdown on what has been described as ‘reckless’ AI development, even as critics questioned the motives behind such calls, dismissing them as ‘too little, too late.’
Why it matters
The debate pits the world's most powerful AI companies against their own critics over whether cutting-edge systems could pose an existential risk. How industry, governments and experts respond could shape the pace and safety of technology that increasingly touches everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Anthropic researcher warn about?
Resigning Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned that 'the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,' referring to artificial superintelligence, according to the Guardian.
Who has backed a slowdown in AI development?
According to the Guardian, OpenAI's boss and Elon Musk have backed a slowdown on 'reckless' AI development, alongside plans by the Anthropic boss to boost safety.
What is artificial superintelligence?
The Guardian describes it as an as-yet-nonexistent version of the technology that outcompetes humans in most domains.