FORMER GOOGLE CEO WARNS AGAINST U.S. PUSH FOR 'SUPERHUMAN' AI, FEARS CYBER-WAR RETALIATION FROM CHINA
In a wake-up call for global leaders on the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, and Dan Hendrycks, director at the Center for AI Safety, have co-authored a policy paper titled "Superintelligence Strategy." The trio have cautioned against any U.S. exclusive push to create Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with superhuman capabilities, voicing the potential for international repercussions, particularly from global AI powerhouse, China.
The authors argue that this situation is analogous to the standoff scenario of mutually assured destruction, a familiar concept from the Cold War. In this context, they believe a race by the United States to dominate extremely powerful AI could trigger a similar outcome. Fearing the rising tensions, they advocate that the U.S. should focus its energy on dissuading other countries from developing superintelligent AI.
The document frames this concept in the term Mutual Assured AI Malfunction (MAIM), suggesting an approach whereby the U.S. could deter other countries by expanding its arsenal with cyberattacks aimed at disabling threatening AI projects.
This view marks a pivot from more aggressive attitudes in the past, especially those that Eric Schmidt, one of the biggest names in AI, has publicly upheld. In this paper, the authors collectively advocate for a more contained development of AGI, underlining the importance of focusing on defensive strategies.
The publication of "Superintelligence Strategy" appears almost as a response to the Trump administration’s persistent push for U.S. AI advancement. However, the authors urge the administration to tread carefully, voicing concern that key decisions concerning the development of AGI should not be hedged in nationalistic ambition. Rather, they argue that America's decisions should take into account a global perspective to avert long-term harm and polarization of global powers.
As we stand on the precipice of an AI dominated future, the message from these tech leaders is clear: the development and application of AGI needs to be an international conversation and effort. The assertion that the AGI field could become a new kind of battleground underscores the high stakes that come with this new technological frontier. In their proposal for mutual deterrence, they ask the world to pause, reflect, and consider the full ramifications of superintelligent AI before plowing ahead. Without such precautions, we run the risk of a turbulent future defined not only by tech supremacy but also by unpredictable AI malfunctions and a deepening digital divide between nations.