Demis Hassabis warns that artificial intelligence could either solve humanity’s greatest problems or spiral out of control without urgent international cooperation and regulation.
At a Glance
- Hassabis urges caution and ethical oversight in AI development
- Predicts arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) within 5 to 10 years
- Calls for global institutions to regulate AI, similar to CERN or the UN
- Warns of military misuse and the risk of catastrophic loss of control
AI’s Promises and Global Risks
Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind and a leading voice in artificial intelligence, envisions extraordinary promise from AGI—systems capable of outperforming humans in nearly every intellectual task. In a TIME interview, Hassabis explained that AGI could revolutionize fields like biomedicine and climate science. However, he also stressed the technology’s dark side: military misuse, economic disruption, and catastrophic loss of human control if unchecked.
Initially, DeepMind had pledged not to work on military AI, but under Google’s evolving policies, it now provides AI services to militaries, increasing tensions worldwide. Hassabis warned that uncontrolled AI development risks “a loss of control,” a danger humanity has never previously faced at such scale.
Watch Hassabis discuss these risks here.
Ethics and Responsibility at the Forefront
Hassabis emphasized the need to slow AI development to properly manage emerging risks. “I would advocate not moving fast and breaking things,” he told DNYUZ, referencing the tech industry’s infamous motto.
Rather than relying on corporate self-regulation, Hassabis envisions the creation of international bodies, like a new AI-centered version of CERN, or a global monitoring system akin to the IAEA for nuclear programs. A UN-style governing entity for AI would oversee development and ensure transparent, secure, and ethical progress.
Preparing for Humanity’s AI Future
In projecting AGI’s arrival within 5 to 10 years, Hassabis highlighted the urgency of immediate action. He believes future AI will drive “radical abundance,” making major global challenges solvable—but only if societies embed ethical guardrails now. AI’s impact on labor markets, geopolitics, and cultural norms could be profound, requiring bold adaptation strategies.
Leading thinkers echo Hassabis’s concerns. As reported by Forbes, researchers like Dawn Song and Yoshua Bengio have also flagged the risks of agent-based AI systems developing unforeseen capabilities beyond human control.
Demis Hassabis ultimately sees AI as an unparalleled tool for exploration, discovery, and human advancement—but only if humanity treats its emergence with the caution and seriousness it demands. As AGI draws closer, whether AI becomes humanity’s greatest ally or its gravest mistake remains in our hands.
