Why are there concerns AI could threaten humanity, and how real are they?

ByLiv McMahon

Technology reporter

Updated 1 hour ago

A slew of warnings about the potential dangers of AI have spurred calls for coordinated action to slow the technology's development.

Claims by current and former researchers that the tech will endanger humanity - with one suggesting there is a greater than 10% chance of it "killing all humans" - have raised alarm bells.

Major developers OpenAI and Anthropic are urging lawmakers to regulate AI, with Microsoft's AI boss the latest to say rules are needed to prevent a "silicon species" from eventually competing with humanity.

But some have dismissed the calls as an effort by big AI developers to cement their dominance over rivals.

Regardless, the high profile claims have caused concern - here's what we know.

Why do some people think AI could be a threat?

Some AI researchers say there are worrying signs of systems developing in their capabilities and power too quickly.

Evan Hubinger, made headlines with his belief that there is a greater than 10% chance AI "could kill all humans" within the next decade.

He works in alignment, a field which aims to build human ethical ideas and principles into AI - essentially keeping it on track with what humans value.

While he said the risk from current systems was "low", his comments came as another researcher quit Anthropic and warned those developing the tech were losing their grip on it.

Jacob Coxon told the BBC he and other staff were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of advancements and what it could mean for humanity.

These concerns are the latest in a long line of fears about AI's potential to threaten humanity should it grow to match or surpass human abilities.

Such worries date back decades, with Alan Turing writing in the 1950s that should intelligent machines become possible, they could take control.

OpenAI and Anthropic say they aim to advance such tech in a way which benefits humans and protect them from its existential risks.