Years of efforts by activists to convince Washington that artificial\nintelligence (AI) could end human life are starting to bear fruit.\nSenator Bernie Sanders, who recently travelled to the Bay Area, has\nbecome one of the most vocal voices in Congress expressing concerns\nabout the existential risks of the technology.<\/p>\n
In a video uploaded last March, Sanders was seen discussing issues\nwith Eliezer Yudkowsky, a figure who has spent two decades warning about\nAI\u2019s potential to annihilate humanity. \u201cOnce they no longer need humans,\nhumans will be discarded,\u201d Yudkowsky stated in the video, to which\nSanders responded with shock.<\/p>\n
These concerns are no longer confined to the political fringes. Last\nweek, the resignation of Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon triggered\nintense debate in Washington. Coxon warned that AI could \u201ckill us all by\nthe end of this decade.\u201d This statement immediately resonated among\nmembers of parliament from both major parties.<\/p>\n
Connor Leahy, head of the US branch of ControlAI, stated that his\nteam has spoken with 200 congressional offices in the last 18 months.\n\u201cSomething feels impossible until suddenly it is no longer so.\nEverything can change very quickly,\u201d said Leahy regarding the shift in\npoliticians\u2019 attitudes towards AI risks.<\/p>\n
At the Pro-Human Assembly conference on Tuesday (15\/9), Bernie\nSanders shared the stage with politically opposing figures, such as\nformer Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon. Both agreed that the threat of\nAI transcends partisan boundaries.<\/p>\n
Sanders warned that if AI surpasses human intelligence, the\ntechnology could escape human control with catastrophic consequences.\nMeanwhile, Bannon described this moment as a historical hinge that must\nbe handled correctly.<\/p>\n
The AI safety movement is supported by significant funding from tech\nfigures such as Skype billionaire Jaan Tallinn and Facebook founder\nDustin Moskovitz. Organisations such as the Future of Life Institute and\nEncode AI now have easier access to policymakers than in previous\nyears.<\/p>\n
Sneha Revanur, founder of Encode AI, noted that in 2023, her\norganisation struggled to secure even 20 minutes to meet with members of\nparliament. Now, they are able to engage in very clear and direct\nconversations regarding the risk of extinction.<\/p>\n
Despite the momentum, the movement faces political challenges. Donald\nTrump has referred to AI apocalypse warnings as hoaxes, sparking fears\nthat AI safety will become a partisan issue. However, activists insist\nthey lean towards a libertarian perspective and reject the \u201cwoke\nconspiracy\u201d label.<\/p>\n
On the industry side, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for a\ncomprehensive industry slowdown, a proposal supported by Sam Altman\n(OpenAI) and Elon Musk. Nevertheless, Sanders remains sceptical of\nself-regulation by technology companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the lives of every man, woman, and child are to be fundamentally\nchanged by this technology, it is the people of this country who must\nmake the decisions about AI, not just a handful of oligarchs,\u201d Sanders\nasserted.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ai-existential-risk-campaign-begins-to-grip-washington-1789635165", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }