AI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC

Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon has publicly warned that AI development is moving too fast, creating risks that could threaten humanity. His concerns are echoed by industry leaders who are calling for increased regulation and a coordinated slowdown in AI advancement.
Why it matters
The internal dissent from high-level researchers highlights growing ethical and existential concerns within the AI industry regarding the speed of innovation.
Figure caption, 'There is a possibility of human extinction,' former Anthropic employee says about AI
An artificial intelligence researcher who quit AI firm Anthropic has said people working on the technology were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of its advancements and what it could mean for humanity.
"I believe that if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future," he said.
Jacob Coxon was speaking to the BBC after his resignation post on the dangers of AI went viral on a backdrop of growing safety concerns about the industry.
The 27-year-old's former boss, Anthropic head Dario Amodei, recently called for AI development to slow down - though some have questioned the motivations behind this.
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3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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