Anthropic Co-Founder Jack Clark Warns Of Potential Existential Risks From AI
Anthropic co-founder warns AI could pose existential threat to humanity.
The statement was made in Oxford, United Kingdom, during a lecture at the University of Oxford, where Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark warned about potential long-term risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence systems and the need for global caution in their development.
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark has warned that there remains a “non-zero chance” that artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity, stating that such risks “have not gone away.” He made the remarks during a lecture delivered at the University of Oxford on Wednesday, where he discussed the rapid progress of AI and the growing gap between technological advancement and global preparedness.
Clark cautioned that many people continue to underestimate the pace at which AI systems are evolving, drawing parallels with past global crises such as pandemics, including COVID-19. He said society risks falling into a reactive position if it fails to anticipate the capabilities of increasingly advanced synthetic intelligence systems, which he suggested could soon surpass collective human capability in certain domains.
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According to Clark, there are plausible scenarios in which AI systems could become extremely powerful and difficult to control, with outcomes that may include severe global risks. He emphasised that while such outcomes are not inevitable, they cannot be dismissed, and therefore require serious consideration from policymakers, researchers, and governments worldwide.
The Anthropic executive also suggested that slowing down AI development could give humanity more time to build safeguards and governance frameworks. However, he acknowledged that such coordination may be difficult due to intense global competition among companies and countries striving to lead in artificial intelligence innovation.
Clark’s comments align with warnings from other leading figures in the AI field, including Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei and AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, both of whom have raised concerns about the long-term safety and societal impact of highly advanced AI systems. They have urged increased research into alignment, safety mechanisms, and regulatory oversight to ensure that future systems remain under human control.
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