Will AI really kill us all? The science behind the hype

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Concerns that artificial intelligence might kill us all are blowing up right now following warnings from researchers and leaders at some of the world’s foremost AI companies. Speculation is rife over how legislators will act. Nature breaks down what the fears are, who is expressing them and what might happen next.

The latest hysteria about AI kicked off on 8 September, researcher Jacob Coxon told the Wall Street Journal that he was resigning from the AI firm Anthropic, based in San Francisco, California, because he feared that the systems the company is developing could spiral out of control and destroy humanity.