Lawmakers blast AI companies after researcher warns of human extinction by 2030

Lawmakers have expressed concern over the potential risks posed by artificial intelligence after a researcher warned of a possible human extinction by the end of the decade. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, stated that AI poses a "catastrophic risk" and recalled asking Elon Musk about the likelihood of AI destroying humanity, to which Musk responded that the odds were "10-20%".

On the other side, Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, said that a recent poll showed that Americans overwhelmingly wanted to ban artificial super intelligence and pause AI development until clear safety standards were established. The outrage began after an Anthropic employee, Jacob Coxon, resigned from the company, warning that AI would soon become "superhuman systems" that could cause human extinction by 2030.

Coxon's concerns were echoed by at least two other Anthropic employees. Both Cruz and Sanders have been working on legislation to put guardrails on AI, and both have called on Congress to take action. Other lawmakers, including Ted Lieu and Lori Trahan, have also weighed in, urging Congress to act and demanding that safety researchers be listened to.

Even musicians such as Sheryl Crow and Maggie Rogers have weighed in, urging leaders to address the potential dangers of AI. Anthropic, the company behind the AI research, has published a cybersecurity incident report and stated that it is working on building models with strong safeguards, but acknowledged that the industry should work together to pace the release of powerful models.