Will AI make us obsolete?

When technology does what humans do-only better-we have to ensure we remain relevant

- David Duvenaud

R ight now, most big AI labs have a team figuring out ways that rogue Als might escape supervision, or secretly collude with each other against humans. But there's a more mundane way we could lose control of civilisation: we might become obsolete.

This wouldn't require any plots-if AI and robotics keep improving, it's what happens by default.

How so? Well, AI developers are on track to build better replacements for humans in almost every role we play: not just economically as workers and decision-makers, but culturally as artists and creators, and even socially as friends and romantic companions. What place will humans have when AI can do everything we do, only better? Talk of Al's potential might sound like marketing hype, and some of it definitely is.

I've spent 20 years in AI research, watching its progression from basic reasoning to solving complex scientific problems. There may be delays along the way, but we should assume there will be continued progress in AI across the board.