AI News Monitor

Scientists and one “pretty terrified” safety officer are afraid that AI could destroy humanity, and they’ve taken serious steps to show it.

Scientists from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists have sent a strong message to all world leaders about impending catastrophe. They cite—among other concerns—the misuse of AI technology.

The BAS is the body that annually sets the “Doomsday Clock.” The clock shows every year how close humanity is to a world-ending disaster caused by man-made technologies. The BAS has announced that it is now 89 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to catastrophe.

BAS had this to say in a statement…

“Because the world is already perilously close to the precipice, a move of even a single second should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning that every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster.”

It added that “systems that incorporate artificial intelligence in military targeting have been used in Ukraine and the Middle East. And several countries are moving to integrate artificial intelligence into their militaries.”

The use of AI in destructive weapons has been recognized as a serious global threat for some time. Concerns that have been raised include potentially giving AI control over the launching of missiles. Indeed, the US and China have held talks recently in the hope of making their concerns known and finding some common ground. One verbal agreement that has been made is that only humans, and not AI, should have control of nuclear launch decisions. Further collaboration between both countries could be key to tackling the threat. By setting the Doomsday Clock forward, scientists at BAS will be hoping to spur more urgent action.

Other issues arising from AI technology include problems of air pollution and energy demand. There has been a surge in the building of data centers to advance AI technology and outpace China in the arms race. Data centers use large quantities of electricity, much of it generated from fossil fuels. Scientists have warned that air pollution in the US due to emissions from this dirty energy could cause up to 1,300 deaths annually by 2030. Increase in data centers could also cause an energy crisis in the US and force the country to renege on its clean energy commitments.

In a further development, a researcher who worked as a safety officer at OpenAI has quit his job, confessing that he is “pretty terrified” by the threat of AI. Posting on X, Steven Adler warned that the AI race is “a very risky gamble”, with a potential for disaster.

“When I think about where I’ll raise a future family, or how much to save for retirement,” he says, “I can’t help but wonder. Will humanity even make it to that point?”