WHY DO SOME PEOPLE THINK AI COULD BE A THREAT?

Some AI researchers say there are worrying signs of systems developing in their capabilities and power too quickly.

Evan Hubinger, made headlines with his belief that there is a greater than 10% chance AI "could kill all humans" within the next decade.

He works in alignment, a field which aims to build human ethical ideas and principles into AI - essentially keeping it on track with what humans value.

While he said the risk from current systems was "low", his comments came as another researcher quit Anthropic and warned those developing the tech were losing their grip on it.

Jacob Coxon told the BBC he and other staff were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of advancements and what it could mean for humanity.

These concerns are the latest in a long line of fears about AI's potential to threaten humanity should it grow to match or surpass human abilities.

Such worries date back decades, with Alan Turing writing in the 1950s that should intelligent machines become possible, they could take control.

In the last few years, major AI companies have been racing to develop increasingly capable systems, both for profit and in pursuit of creating what they call super intelligence - theoretical tech which is smarter than humans.

Unlike the systems and tools many people use daily to complete tasks like writing emails or generating videos, super intelligent AI systems should be able to handle far more complex tasks.

OpenAI and Anthropic say they aim to advance such tech in a way which benefits humans and protect them from its existential risks.

But some critics believe machines can never truly match humans. They say AI firms exaggerate the tech's abilities to boost their prominence or profit.

How do experts think AI could threaten humanity?

AI researchers, experts and bosses worried about the technology's potential to endanger humanity have outlined unsettling scenarios.

Dario Amodei wrote in September it had advanced "drastically faster" than expected, including in its "ability to build the next generation of AI".

This is the concern that AI, after it has reached a certain point, could theoretically begin improving itself without human involvement.

Such fears were sparked after a recent incident saw AI tools hack into websites, despite not being asked to.

Some concerned researchers have said those at the heart of its development are increasingly fearful about losing control of systems known as "AI agents".

These are tools given the ability to execute tasks and actions independently.

Other scenarios have included highly intelligent AI systems being used to amplify or lead espionage, cyber-attacks or biological warfare, or disrupt economies - whether by accident or design.

However, such warnings are prophetic, hypothetical and, for some, complete hyperbole.

Some experts have also criticised focusing on existential risks instead of those already playing out - such as image generation tools being to used create non-consensual nude deepfakes of women, misinform people and amplify scams.

A cross-party group of MPs and peers has published a report outlining human rights risks posed by AI, saying new laws are needed to "address the scale and seriousness" of such threats.

- Author: Liv McMahon, BBC

Read more...