AI fears are being weaponised

As the growth of artificial intelligence accelerates, it is already posing significant challenges to society. Companies have started laying off workers whose jobs AI models can now perform. The expansion of data centres has spiked energy consumption and increased the carbon footprint. AI agents are being used by malicious actors to automate the spread of disinformation. Algorithms are demonstrating bias, raising concerns about flawed application and discrimination by human-related technologies that use them. AI is being used to identify targets in warfare, leading to greater loss of human life.These are complex problems that demand serious regulatory attention. Yet, today’s dominant AI policy conversations are rarely grounded in these immediate challenges.Instead, the global discourse has been swept by apocalyptic prophecies. We see this doomsday narrative promoted by some within the AI industry and echoed at the highest levels of decision-making: from lawmakers like Senator Bernie Sanders championing bans on superintelligence, to cautionary messages from the Vatican, to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling open-source AI a real threat.It is entirely reasonable for glo...