Artificial intelligence could lead to the extinction of humanity, technology industry leaders warn in an open letter, including Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, and heads of artificial intelligence firm Google, DeepMind and Microsoft. As the letter from the AI ​​Security Center says, reducing the risks associated with artificial intelligence should become a global priority, as is the case with other threats to humanity, such as pandemics and nuclear war.

AI technologies have seen explosive growth in recent months since OpenAI released ChatGPT to the general public. Just two months after its debut, the chatbot has reached 100 million users. ChatGPT has impressed scientists and the general public with its ability to provide answers to human-like questions, raising suspicions that artificial intelligence could replace humans in many areas.

In their letter, they ask that the reduction of emerging risks become a global priority, as is done in the event of a nuclear war.

The experts now emphasize in their letter that there is a growing debate about the “wide range of significant and urgent risks associated with artificial intelligence.” While they acknowledge that it can be difficult to express concerns about the risks associated with more advanced AI systems, they aim to overcome this barrier and open up discussion.

Indeed, Altman himself admitted in March that he is “a little afraid” of artificial intelligence, as he fears authoritarian governments will take advantage of the technology. Other tech industry figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt have also warned about the threats AI poses to society.

In March, Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and several other tech leaders called for AI systems not to exceed GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest model. At the same time, they requested a suspension for 6 months of the development of such advanced systems. “Modern artificial intelligence systems are now becoming competitive with humans in some common tasks,” the letter says. “Should we automate all jobs, including those that bring satisfaction to those who perform them? Should we develop non-human minds that could eventually outnumber us and outwit us and replace us? Should we risk losing control of our culture?” the letter asked. Last week, Schmidt warned of the “existential dangers” associated with artificial intelligence as technology advances.