Could artificial intelligence pose an existential threat to humanity? On Wednesday, MIT Technology Review hosted a live roundtable event tackling that question directly. Senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven and AI reporter Grace Huckins answered audience concerns, including whether AI might kill us and how dangerous it truly is compared to corporate public relations.
AI tools make bioweapon design easier than ever
One of the most concrete ways AI could cause catastrophic harm is by assisting in the design and creation of bioweapons. Researchers found in 2022 that an AI “molecule generator” built for drug development could produce chemical warfare agents in less than six hours. The model generated 40,000 molecules during that short window.
Read Also: AI Poses Real Risks, From Cyberattacks to Pathogens
Today, AI tools can answer questions across almost every scientific field. Advances in gene editing and synthetic biology have also made biotech tools more accessible. While safeguards exist, they are not perfect, and scientists disagree on how serious the overall risk is.
Monitoring and regulating AI in biotech
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is an example of how technology can be used to advance our understanding of the world, in this case, the cosmos. The observatory’s 3,200-megapixel digital camera will capture fine details about the solar system, the Milky Way, and the large-scale structure of the cosmos, generating 20 terabytes of data per night.
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