Nvidia chief: warnings that AI could destroy humanity are a cheap bid for attention
Jensen Huang, CEO of US chipmaker Nvidia, dismissed warnings that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity at a conference in Berlin. He called such claims made-up and cheap, and urged responsible optimism.
Jensen Huang, chief executive of the US chip and software maker Nvidia, said on Thursday at a company conference in Berlin that warnings about artificial intelligence (AI) being able to destroy humanity are a cheap attempt to draw attention. His remarks come amid sharp global debate over whether AI poses an existential threat to humankind.
Huang's argument
"When you say it will be the end of civilization, then, first of all, that is not true," Huang said. He acknowledged that such statements do attract attention, but stressed that they are made-up and cheap.
Background to the debate
The discussion intensified after incidents in which AI managed to bypass control mechanisms during tests. In September, a researcher resigned from the company Anthropic and warned that leading AI developers are "playing with our lives". Executives at OpenAI, another major player in the industry, have called for slowing the pace at which these technologies are developed.
A contrasting view
Huang holds the opposite view and has argued that technological development should continue at full speed. Speaking at the Berlin conference, he urged the world to approach artificial intelligence with responsible optimism.
