Experts have been warning of the existential threat posed by AI for many decades, but now the CEOs of multiple AI companies are also sounding the alarm.

Other than their concern for our safety, critics speculate more cynical reasons that AI bosses might be calling for a slowdown. On Monday, Michael Burry (the investor made famous by The Big Short, who is now betting against AI), laid out some of these arguments in a post on X.

Burry writes that “slowing benefits incumbents”, that the threat of danger could be seen as “hype and puffery”, and that safety concerns provide a good excuse “for real uncontrollable slowing growth”.

Putting it more bluntly, Business Insider’s Dan DeFrancesco writes, “Students have dogs that eat homework. AI companies now have the fate of humanity to worry about before they can hit analysts’ estimates or investors’ expectations.”

Regardless, many experts, including Nobel-prize-winning computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, believe that the threat of human extinction caused by AI is real and must be taken seriously.

Directed, filmed and edited by Isaiah Tour.
Written and presented by Robbie Nicol.
Made with the support of NZ On Air.