As people within the artificial intelligence industry call for safeguards to prevent the technology from wiping out humanity, a New Brunswick cybersecurity expert says the real harms it causes could be ignored. “What is the motive behind this AI doomerism?” David Shipley told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis. “All of these companies are playing different games. They’re probably thinking, ‘How do I keep the myth about AI as a god going?’ Say it’s so scary it could wipe out humanity. “It’s not a god, it’s not going to wipe out humanity. This is more about inflating their business evaluation. It’s a misdirection from the real harm their tools cause for kids and adults.” Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, previously said the industry needs to slow down as AI agents could be able to take over the internet within a year without safeguards in place. “If they’re this scared, turn it off,” Shipley said. “We were just fine before we had these sycophantic tools that burn a ton of energy. They are not the only keys to unlocking economic prosperity. We make a choice whether we want to use these tools or not.” Shipley said AI companies’ calls for safeguards could be a way to cut off competition from China. “We’re waiting for another 2008-style financial collapse because of the irresponsibility of these AI companies and they are terrified China is going to pop their bubble,” he said. Federal politicians will return to the House of Commons this month and Shipley is calling on them to impose AI regulations and restrictions that could mitigate its potential harms. “Ban access to ChatGPT and AI tools for kids under 16,” he said. “Let’s stop worrying about the apocalypse and worry about the body count here and now.” -With files from The Associated Press
