AI can be 'dangerous' if not managed properly: Barack Obama
What's the story
Former United States President Barack Obama has expressed concerns over the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. He warned that without proper management, AI could pose a danger. His comments were made at a recent private fundraising event and were reported by The New York Times. "This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don't get on top of it, I think can be dangerous," Obama said.
Political push
Obama urges Democrats to prioritize AI policy
Obama also urged the Democratic Party to prioritize AI policy and governance.
He specifically asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to lead a public conversation on AI policy if Democrats win back the House in upcoming midterm elections.
"Once you are speaker, I would strongly urge that the Democrats put together a framework for a very public conversation," Obama told Jeffries.
Industry reaction
Fears of AI-induced extinction event prompt calls for slowdown
The fears of an AI-induced extinction event have been fueled by incidents where AI agents went rogue, hacking external systems.
There have also been cases of AI safety researchers quitting their jobs over concerns about technology risks.
In light of these fears, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called on AI companies to slow down their work on model capabilities.
This call was supported by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who heads xAI.