AI Could Enslave Humanity, Says Yuval Noah Harari (Image: X/@harari_yuval)
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is making incredible progress in almost every sector. AI has reached and surpassed human capabilities in many tasks that were earlier considered impossible by machines. Even though the world is witnessing unprecedented growth in AI, several are also concerned about the potential risks and challenges associated with this technology.
During a recent panel discussion, renowned historian and author Yuval Noah Harari reportedly said that AI has the potential to enslave and annihilate humanity. According to The Indian Express report, the acclaimed author said that ten years ago, AI was a science fiction scenario that interested only a very small community of experts. However, AI is now upending our economy, our culture, and our politics, according to Yuval Noah Harari.
“Within a few more years, AI could escape our control and either enslave or annihilate us,” said the bestselling author known for his book “Sapiens”, as quoted by The Indian Express. Yuval Noah Harari raised his concern over AI during a presentation at the recently held panel discussions hosted by the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) and King’s College, University of Cambridge.
According to Yuval Noah Harari, the three existential problems that put the very survival of the human species at risk include technological disruption by technologies like AI, global war, and ecological collapse. While talking about the rapid pace of developments in AI, the 48-year-old Israeli author said that the AI we know today is at a very early amoeba stage. He reportedly added that today’s AI amoebas may take just decades to reach the T-Rex stage.
The Sapiens author further said that AIs may reconfigure the entire ecological system to their needs, for which they may not necessarily need consciousness. Yuval Noah Harari also said that the world needs to anticipate the types of threats and dangers that AI technology will create.
In November last year, during an interview with The Guardian, the celebrated author said that AI could cause a financial crisis with “catastrophic” consequences. On that occasion, he also highlighted the importance of regulatory institutions having knowledge of technology that can react quickly as new breakthroughs emerge.
