Opinion Express View on AI and extinction anxiety: Look who’s talking

Who would’ve thought that, within the folds of Big Tech — comprising the creators of social media, the barons of search engines and the masterminds behind the artificial intelligences — there lies a secret cabal of Luddites. Their millions and billions, after all, are a result of “innovation”, “efficiency” and lack of regulation. But with ChatGPT and the like now dominating the tech conversation, they seem to be gripped by the same sense of regret that Viktor Frankenstein felt when he came to believe his creation was a monster.

Tech leaders, including the chief of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Sam Altman, have backed a statement by the Centre for AI Safety that warns of an impending apocalypse: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” The warning comes on the heels of calls by the likes of Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak to “pause” AI development till the contours of its regulation are drawn. Their warning includes misinformation, deep fakes, weaponisation, etc.

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Yes, the fears are real. But all the red flags were equally true of the internet and social media. And before that, the Industrial Revolution. Perhaps the original Luddites were right. Perhaps people were better off living by the sweat of their brow, ensconced in creativity that was not mass-produced. If that is the case, it may well be best for humanity to return to the hardships of Eden. But just in case the techies like their penicillin, electric cars and bank balances, they should leave moral consequences to the philosophers and poets.