Humanity is entering a phase of artificial intelligence development that will 'test who we are as a species', according to Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI startup Anthropic. In a lengthy essay titled 'The adolescence of technology', Amodei urged the world to 'wake up' to the risks of AI, warning that the arrival of highly powerful systems is 'potentially imminent'.
Amodei highlighted that a quarter of Britons fear losing their jobs to AI within five years, and cautioned that powerful AI – defined as smarter than a Nobel prizewinner across multiple fields – could be as little as one to two years away. He also criticised some AI companies for 'disturbing negligence' regarding the sexualisation of children in current models, raising doubts about their ability to address future risks.
The Anthropic boss described a potential 'trap' where the economic prize from AI, such as productivity gains from eliminating jobs, could be so great that no one applies the brakes. 'This is the trap: AI is so powerful, such a glittering prize, that it is very difficult for human civilisation to impose any restraints on it at all,' he wrote.
Despite the warnings, Amodei expressed optimism, stating: 'I believe if we act decisively and carefully, the risks can be overcome – I would even say our odds are good. And there’s a hugely better world on the other side of it. But we need to understand that this is a serious civilisational challenge.'
