Jacob Coxon, a former safety researcher for Anthropic and OpenAI, recently voiced strong support for calls to decelerate artificial intelligence development. Coxon resigned from Anthropic due to ongoing safety concerns regarding the rapid progress of the technology. His departure followed a public statement on social media where he accused both companies of acting irresponsibly and gambling with public safety in a race toward self-improving superintelligence. During an interview on This Week with anchor George Stephanopoulos, Coxon reacted to a letter published by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei titled We Must Pace the Frontier. In the letter, Amodei urged the tech industry to slow down artificial intelligence development, stating that developers owe it to humanity to try. Coxon applauded the stance as a vital step toward managing the growth of competing AI systems. Reflecting on his viral social media post, Coxon noted that the immense level of engagement caught him by surprise, though he believes it reflects a timely public appetite for honest discussions about the industry. He also discussed the internal culture at major AI firms, explaining that while employees are often too busy to dwell constantly on potential hazards, serious conversations regarding the existential risks of the technology surface multiple times a week. According to Coxon, many individuals directly involved in building advanced artificial intelligence genuinely harbor concerns about the long-term control and safety of these systems as capabilities continue to advance.
Source: abcnews.com
