The fight over a ‘dangerous’ ideology shaping AI debate

FILE PHOTO: An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo/File Photo

Paris: Silicon Valley’s favourite philosophy, longtermism, has helped to frame the debate on artificial intelligence (AI) around the idea of human extinction.

But increasingly vocal critics are warning that the philosophy is dangerous, and the obsession with extinction distracts from real problems associated with AI like data theft and biased algorithms.