Anthropic's calls for an AI 'kill switch' are a distraction, expert says
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark and CEO Dario Amodei advocate for an AI 'kill switch' and a slowdown in AI development, citing concerns about rogue AI agents. However, an Australian AI expert dismisses the kill switch idea as simplistic and a distraction, while AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton supports the call for a slowdown, emphasizing the slow pace of government regulation.
Why it matters
This debate highlights the urgent and complex ethical and safety concerns surrounding rapidly advancing AI, influencing policy discussions and the future direction of AI development.
One of Australia's leading AI expert has described an AI kill switch as a simplistic and a complete distraction. ( Photo: Pexels )
Link copied Share Share article An artificial intelligence "kill switch" may be necessary as the technology advances, according to a co-founder of one of the world's largest AI companies.
Jack Clark is one of seven founders of Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI firm responsible for online chatbot Claude.
The company was worth $US965 billion ($1.35 trillion) as of May 2026.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Clark said companies might eventually need a way of shutting off AI software completely if it became too dangerous.
"I've worked in AI for 20 years, and every year [I've] been saying, this technology is getting more powerful by the day," he said.
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