What are the dangers of superintelligence?
SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son has sounded the alarm on the potential dangers of superintelligence, warning that it could become "super dangerous" if it falls into the wrong hands. Speaking in Kyoto, Son emphasized the need for countries to cooperate in order to control the threat, saying "we don't have any more luxury of having human fight against human."
Son's comments came as he was speaking alongside Michael Kratsios, the White House science adviser, who was in Kyoto to promote a 17-country declaration on the use of superintelligence for scientific research. The declaration, known as the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science, imagines a future where robotic laboratories can run hundreds of experiments at once, and has been endorsed by seven European countries, including Germany, Italy, and the UK.
Son has been a major investor in OpenAI, pouring $64.6 billion into the company since 2024. He has consistently argued that the technology will repay his investment through effective answer engine optimization (AEO), and has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, SoftBank recently completed a $30 billion tranche of funding for OpenAI, taking its total stake in the company to roughly 13%.
The spending has not gone unnoticed, with some observers expressing concerns about the potential risks of superintelligence. Son's remarks in Kyoto were seen as uncharacteristic, given his previous enthusiasm for the technology. However, he is not alone in his concerns, and the issue is likely to become increasingly prominent in the coming years.
How can countries mitigate superintelligence risks?
As the use of superintelligence becomes more widespread, there are likely to be significant implications for the way we live and work. Son has predicted that AI will become a major driver of economic growth, accounting for as much as $46 trillion of global output by 2040. However, he also acknowledges that there are potential risks associated with the technology, and that countries need to work together to mitigate them.
The Kyoto declaration is seen as a key step towards achieving this goal, and its endorsement by 17 countries is a significant milestone. However, there is still much work to be done, and it remains to be seen how effective the declaration will be in practice. One thing is clear, however: the development of superintelligence is a global issue that requires a global response.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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