AI and the Question of Human Extinction

Created by ChatGPT

.

If you watched the news recently, you may have noticed that the warnings from people inside the AI community have become considerably more serious.

AI — the possibility that it could eventually eliminate humanity.

Researchers at Anthropic, along with current and former researchers associated with OpenAI, are now publicly discussing the possibility that sufficiently advanced AI could pose an extinction-level threat within the next decade. They are not saying extinction is certain. They are saying the probability is large enough that we should take it seriously.

Astonishing Growth of AI

.

The AI revolution is here to stay, says Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. In a probing, live conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Altman discusses the astonishing growth of AI and shows how models like ChatGPT could soon become extensions of ourselves. He also addresses questions of safety, power and moral authority, reflecting on the world he envisions — where AI will almost certainly outpace human intelligence.

OpenAI's Sam Altman talks ChatGPT, AI agents and superintelligence
 — live at TED2025
(Recorded on April 11, 2025)

The AI revolution is underhyped

.

If you are not using AI technology today, you will quickly become irrelevant. Quoted by Eric Schmidt

Only a handful of people are aware of this forecast. Irrelevant is already happening. The wealth and power of the world are shifting to these individuals, and this trend is expected to accelerate.

Today, Mark sent this TED talk (The AI revolution is underhyped (Eric Schmidt)) to several of us.

https://go.ted.com/Si327 

He suggests, “It is time for Nerd Nite to get back to AI.”

I introduced AI to Nerd Nite four months after the announcement of ChatGPT (Nov 22, 2022). We studied it for a couple of months, and most of us put it down with little worry.

I seriously picked it up again a few months ago and found the growth of AI has been spectacular! Watch the TED talk yourself (homework), maybe a couple of times, and then let’s watch it again at Nerd Nite.

For me? Amen! I am rushing to include AI in ALL my finance, medical, travel, and legal activities (and even philosophy, e.g. Eckhart Tolle)