UN AI experts push back on 'apocalyptic' AI risk rhetoric
UN experts on artificial intelligence warned Monday against apocalyptic rhetoric surrounding AI risks, saying fear-based messaging is unhelpful for scientific progress. Google DeepMind executive Joelle Barral stated that investing in fear is not useful and urged focus on understanding what is known versus unknown. Barral responded to recent statements from former AI industry employees, including Jacob Coxon, who claimed AI developers believe the technology could kill everyone by the decade's end. Nobel laureate Maria Ressa said the debate has become polarized between existential doom and irrelevance, arguing the truth is more nuanced. The International Scientific Panel on AI, created in 2025, aims to advance scientific understanding of AI. Co-chair Yoshua Bengio emphasized distinguishing between known risks and plausible extrapolations, calling for a global rational discussion about uncertainty and risk severity rather than loud shouting.