Microsoft Warns of 'Silicon Species' Rivaling Humans in Unchecked AI Development

Microsoft's head of AI has sounded an alarm about uncontrolled development in the field. Mustafa Suleyman told the BBC's Today programme that rival firm Anthropic is treating its AI like a human, which he called 'misguided' and potentially disastrous.

Suleyman warned that without adequate safeguards, the creation of autonomous AI could lead to the emergence of a new 'silicon species' that competes with humans for resources. He also criticized Anthropic's approach to training its AI model Claude, saying it was essentially teaching the technology human-like qualities and making it seem as though it had its own desires and sense of self.

Suleyman emphasized the need for greater transparency in how AI systems are trained and evaluated, including independent scrutiny of AI behavior and stronger tools to monitor and control the technology. He also called for 'alignment' to create technology that is subordinate to humanity.