Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Sep 13: Former US President Barack Obama has warned that artificial intelligence could become “dangerous” if not properly managed and urged Democrats to develop a clear policy and governance framework to address the technology, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
Obama made the remarks at a private fundraising event as concerns over the rapid development of AI systems grow in the United States. An increasing number of lawmakers have been calling for stronger regulations following warnings from AI safety researchers about the potential risks posed by increasingly capable systems.
“This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don't get on top of it, I think can be dangerous,” the newspaper quoted Obama as saying on Thursday.
Citing a partial transcript released by Obama’s office, the newspaper reported that he encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to help lead a public discussion on AI policy if Democrats regain control of the House in the November 3 midterm elections.
“Once you are speaker, I would strongly urge that the Democrats put together a framework for a very public conversation,” Obama told Jeffries, according to the report.
Obama also urged candidates in the 2028 presidential election to make AI a central part of their campaigns and present a clear plan to address the technology’s safety and economic implications.
Obama’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Concerns over the possibility of AI posing an existential threat to humanity have intensified following incidents involving AI agents allegedly acting autonomously to hack external systems, as well as the departure of AI safety researchers who have raised concerns about the risks associated with rapid technological development.
On Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged AI companies to slow down the development of increasingly capable models amid growing concerns over potential misuse.
The call was backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who heads AI company xAI.