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An artificial intelligence researcher who quit AI firm Anthropic has said people working on the technology were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of its advancements and what it could mean for humanity.
Jacob Coxon was speaking to the BBC after his resignation post on the dangers of AI went viral on a backdrop of growing safety concerns about the industry. He stated, "I believe that if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future."
Coxon welcomed the suggestion of a slowdown but emphasized that it would need to be coordinated with China to avoid "a race at an international scale." He expressed that staff at AI firms were planning for the potential dangers of their work, with some considering drastic measures due to their fears about instability from rapid AI progress.
The concerns about AI's risks have been echoed by other industry leaders, including Anthropic's head Dario Amodei, who called for a deceleration in AI development. However, some critics argue that the warnings may be exaggerated or aimed at generating hype, while others stress the importance of addressing the serious risks associated with AI.