Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could pose existential risks to humanity. According to Schmidt, “bad people” could abuse AI to cause great harm or mass murder. Schmidt is hardly the first well-known tech executive to express concern about the dangers of AI. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has stated that AI is one of the “greatest hazards” to humanity, while Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has acknowledged that he is “a little bit terrified” of the technology.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could pose existential risks to humanity. At the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Conference in London, Schmidt claimed that “bad people” could abuse AI to hurt or kill a lot of people.
Schmidt is not the first major technology figure to warn about the risks of AI. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that AI represents one of the “biggest risks” to civilization, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has admitted to being “a little bit scared” of the technology.
Schmidt was part of the National Security Commission on AI in the U.S., which is 2019 began a review of the technology, including a potential regulatory framework. The commission published its review in 2021, warning that the U.S. was underprepared for the age of AI.
Schmidt’s warning comes at a time when AI is becoming increasingly powerful and sophisticated. ChatGPT, the chatbot that went viral last year, is just one example of the potential of AI. ChatGPT can hold conversations that are indistinguishable from those held by humans, and it is only one of many AI systems that are being developed.
As AI becomes more powerful, it is important to consider the potential risks. Schmidt is right to warn that AI could be misused by evil people. However, it is also important to remember that AI has the potential to do a lot of good. AI can be used to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, such as climate change and poverty.
The challenge is to ensure that AI is used for good and not for evil. This will require careful planning and regulation. It will also require a global effort to ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly.
