Top AI CEOs Warn of 'Extinction Risk' from Artificial Intelligence

The CEOs of OpenAI, DeepMind and Anthropic - three major artificial intelligence companies - have signed a statement from the Center for AI Safety warning about the "existential threat" posed by advanced AI.

The Center for AI Safety compared the risk from artificial intelligence to that of nuclear weapons and pandemics, saying "mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority."

The statement was also signed by AI experts like Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, as well as executives from Microsoft and Google.

DeepMind told Insider in a statement that AI "will transform society" and it's essential to recognize both the opportunities and risks. The company said it is committed to developing AI responsibly guided by its AI principles, and is working with policymakers to maximize the benefits while minimizing risks.

Warnings about potential dangers of advanced AI have increased in recent months. Experts and industry leaders have voiced concerns following products like OpenAI's ChatGPT and the race by Big Tech companies to develop new AI.

A Reuters poll found 61% of Americans believe AI could threaten civilization. The rapid advances have spurred governments to look at regulating AI, with the EU pushing an "AI Act" that would ban certain high-risk uses of artificial intelligence.