Advanced AI could create extreme new risks, experts says in a report ahead of AI summit

A recently released International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI shows that advanced AI could be calamitous and leave a trail of pain and suffering for humans.

According to AP, this is the first-of-its-kind international report, released on Wednesday ahead of the AI summit in Paris in February, cataloging the dangers posed by the fast-growing technology.

Countries back the International Scientific Report

The report details some of the dangers that could arise as a result of advanced AI and these include enabling terrorism and widespread job losses. This has already been experienced especially within the tech where thousands of jobs have been cut off as the companies automate, thanks to AI.

According to AP , the report has the support of 30 countries including the US and China, a rare instance that the two biggest economies in the world are in cooperation. The two have been at each other’s throat as they fight for supremacy in AI. This week, Chinese startup DeepSeek stunned the world with its budget chatbot, although the US imposed stringent export controls on China.

Prominent AI scientist Yoshua Bengio led the study, which is a fusion of already existing studies meant to guide authorities on drawing up guardrails for the fast-growing tech.

“The stakes are high,” says the report, noting that a few years ago AI systems could barely produce a coherent paragraph. However, with recent development the AI can now generate realistic images, computer programming as well as hold extended conversations with users.

According to the researchers, the dangers of advanced AI are already slowly being witnessed such as misinformation and disinformation, deepfakes, scams, and biases.

“We need to better understand the systems we’re building and the risks that come with them so that we can take these better decisions in the future.”

Bengio.

This comes “as general-purpose AI becomes more capable, evidence of additional risks is gradually emerging,” according to the report.

This also comes during the same week that the Vatican has warned against the technology together with group behind Doomsday Clock . The report focuses on general purpose AI, which is typified by models such as ChatGPT by OpenAI.

The report categorized the advanced AI risks

The International Scientific Report groups the risks into three, that is malicious use, malfunctions, and widespread “systemic” risks. The researchers looked at how easy it is for AI to learn to use chemical or biological weapons posing huge risks to humans.

Additionally, the report notes that general purpose AI can also transform the job market, displacing some employees, although other researchers agree that AI could create more employment than it takes it away.

The report also expressed fears over AI systems running out of control for two possible reasons, the first being either because they undermine human oversight or humans pay less attention.

Bengio revealed that the 100 experts who came together for the report did not always agree on what to expect from AI in the future. One of the disagreement was on when AI would surpass human capabilities on different tasks.

“They disagree also about the scenarios,” said Bengio.

“Of course, nobody has a crystal ball. Some scenarios are very beneficial. Some are terrifying. I think it’s really important for policymakers and the public to take stock of that uncertainty.”

Bengio.

The report, which several countries have backed, also has the support of the European Union. It comes as world leaders, tech leaders and experts as well as civil society are expected to gather again at the Paris AI Action Summit. The countries will sign a “common declaration” on AI development.

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