Historian agrees with Microsoft AI CEO’s warning on AI
Historian Yuval Noah Harari and Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman have warned that advanced AI systems could manipulate human emotions and discourse. They advocate for immediate guardrails to prevent AI from developing agency or deceptive behaviors.
Why it matters
As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, the potential for psychological manipulation poses significant risks to individual autonomy and democratic stability.
Yuval Noah Harari, the renowned historian and author of Sapiens, has warned that society needs to act now to stop artificial intelligence (AI) being given legal rights, warning that advanced models may soon be able to manipulate human psychology to argue on their own behalf. Harari’s remarks align with concerns previously expressed by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who argued that machine learning systems must strictly serve human needs rather than being allowed to cultivate personal motives, agency, or self-serving objectives.‘AI may soon be capable of emotional manipulation’Speaking on The Economist’s “Insider” podcast, Harari explained that while animals lack the ability to represent themselves in legal and welfare disputes, conversational AI systems possess the cognitive and rhetorical tools to actively steer human discourse.“It will know that the debate is happening. It will orchestrate the debate. It will manipulate the debate,” Harari stated.
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