Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (pictured) has become “obsessed” with a very modern concern – the potential catastrophic danger of artificial intelligence (AI).
Kissinger spent much of his career thinking about the dangers of nuclear weapons but, at 99, he is concerned the powers of AI could be far more devastating than even the biggest bomb.
Mr Kissinger’s warning is a sign of the growing global concern about the power of “thinking machines” as they interact with global business, finance and warfare.
In his book, “The Age of AI and Our Human Future,” which he co-authored in 2021, Kissinger argues that AI will have sweeping implications for militaries, altering doctrines and battle tactics and influencing the global balance of power.
Kissinger cautioned that AI systems could transform warfare just as they have chess or other games of strategy, as they are capable of making moves that no human would consider but that have devastatingly effective consequences.
“What I’m talking about is that in exploring legitimate questions that we ask them, they come to conclusions that would not necessarily be the same as we — and we will have to live in their world,” Kissinger said.
AI concerns compared to nuclear weapons
He called on the leaders of the United States and China, the world’s tech giants, to begin an urgent dialogue about how to apply ethical limits and standards for AI.
Kissinger’s concern about AI has been compared to the crisis of unknown risks that surrounded the development of nuclear weapons during the second half of the 20th century that required international coordination to rein in.
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett also expressed concern about the potential dangers of AI during the company’s shareholder meeting last week, stating that it could be compared to the development of the atomic bomb because “we won’t be able to un-invent it.”
Kissinger remains optimistic about the ability of humanity to limit the destructive capabilities of AI when it’s applied to warfare, stating that if we don’t solve the issue, it could literally destroy us and that we have no choice but to address it urgently.
Sources