Andrew Ng dismisses AI extinction fears as 'science fiction'

AI pioneer Andrew Ng called warnings about existential AI risks from top model makers "science fiction," saying they may hinder maximizing the technology's societal benefits. He expressed dismay over a recent wave of publicity he believes aims to shape regulation. Ng, who co-founded Google Brain and Coursera, said the industry previously stoked catastrophic harm fears to boost publicity. His comments follow high-profile resignations, including Jacob Coxon, who accused former employers Anthropic and OpenAI of "gambling with our lives" by racing toward super-intelligent AI. Ng acknowledged real risks, including cybersecurity threats, but called extinction concerns "much more science fiction than science." He urged focus on practical engineering problems to safeguard AI while enabling its beneficial uses, countering calls from leaders like Dario Amodei and Sam Altman to pace development.