AI Industry Calls for Slowing Down Development Amid Fears of Uncontrollable Systems

Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis has backed Anthropic boss Dario Amodei's call for an industry-wide slowdown in AI development. The move comes after several researchers, including Jacob Coxon of Anthropic, publicly announced their concerns about the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence.

In a recent essay, Amodei argued that while AI could bring significant benefits to humanity, such as curing major diseases and accelerating economic growth, it also carries serious risks, including the risk of losing control of AI systems. He proposed a three-step plan for pacing the frontier and building AI at a balanced rate that aims to ensure its safety.

Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chair of Google DeepMind, agreed with Amodei's direction, stating 'The details need working through, but the direction is correct for meeting this critical moment.' He also mentioned his proposal for an industry-wide standards body for frontier AI.