Existential threats join bubble fears as AI mood sobers at Singapore forums

Existential and financial risks posed by the artificial intelligence boom were top of mind for investors and policymakers at two conferences in Singapore on Wednesday, highlighting a cautious shift in mood around the AI trade.

Concerns that once centred on frothy valuations have broadened into a wide swathe of fears, including autonomous systems slipping out of human control, AI-designed bioweapons and the possibility that massive spending on the technology may never pay off.

“Anyone who tells you I’ve got absolute control over my autonomous agent… obviously doesn’t know what he’s talking about. So loss of control is a real threat,” Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said at the Milken Institute Asia Summit.