Yoshua Bengio, considered the "AI Godfather," is sounding the alarm on the rapid development of autonomous AI, warning that the pursuit of innovation is prioritizing speed over safety. Bengio, who helped create the foundations of neural networks, believes that the unregulated push for advanced AI could have catastrophic consequences if safety isn't made a top priority.
The pressure to develop more powerful AI systems has intensified with the rise of Chinese AI firms like DeepSeek, whose advanced chatbot capabilities have caught the attention of Western companies and governments. Bengio worries that this will lead to rushed deployments, inadequate safety measures, and systems that behave in unpredictable ways.
Bengio is urging global cooperation to enforce AI regulations and implement meaningful safety protocols before autonomous systems become difficult to control. He believes that the current moment is a "turning point" in the development of AI, and that it's essential to take a more cautious approach to avoid potential disasters.
