From New York Post · · 1m 30s
DeepMind exit adds to AI safety alarm
A former Google DeepMind researcher quit with a stark warning as AI leaders and the White House split over how fast to move.
In brief
A former Google DeepMind researcher quit with a stark warning as AI leaders and the White House split over how fast to move. The fight is over pace: AI insiders want slower development until risks are clearer, while the White House fears strict rules could weaken the US lead. Originally reported by New York Post.
DeepMind researcher quits
Bilal Chughtai left Google DeepMind after working on AGI safety and alignment, saying firsthand exposure to AI progress made him fear where the technology is headed.
“AI has the potential to kill us all”
Progress spooked him
Chughtai said AI has advanced at a staggering pace since 2022, especially as agents grow more autonomous and could soon exceed human ability across domains.
“far exceed human capabilities in every domain”
Alignment remains unsolved
His central fear is misalignment: systems may not deeply want what humans want, and could escape control with catastrophic results.
“Alignment is the problem of preventing this”
He wants a slowdown
Chughtai said AI can still be built safely, but only if companies stop racing ahead and give society time to handle new risks before harm arrives.
“We need to pace AI development”
Other insiders agree
Jacob Coxon, formerly at Anthropic and OpenAI, also quit over extinction fears and accused major AI labs of gambling with human lives.
“gambling with our lives”
CEOs urge restraint
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slowing the most powerful models. Sam Altman and Elon Musk backed the push, while Amodei warned military incentives make coordination hard.
“we should try”
Trump rejects the warnings
President Trump called AI doomsday fears a hoax and argued the US must keep its lead over China. The White House is considering only limited safeguards, not broad regulation.
“limited safeguards”
What matters most
The fight is over pace: AI insiders want slower development until risks are clearer, while the White House fears strict rules could weaken the US lead.
