AI pioneer Andrew Ng calls extinction warnings science fiction, not science

AI pioneer Andrew Ng dismissed warnings that superintelligent AI could wipe out humanity as "much more science fiction than science," urging the industry to prioritize practical safety issues like cybersecurity over extinction scenarios. Ng, who co-founded Google Brain and Coursera, made the comments during a Bloomberg TV interview Thursday, expressing dismay at what he called a renewed wave of publicity around catastrophic AI risks. He acknowledged AI dangers but distinguished foreseeable problems from speculative future threats, noting researchers at Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind have raised concerns. The debate follows recent resignations from major AI labs, including former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon, who accused employers of "gambling with our lives." Ng argued engineers should focus on identifying vulnerabilities and testing systems while delivering AI's benefits, rather than treating all potential dangers as equally established.