Wednesday briefing: Why tech companies might be only too happy for us to believe AI will ‘kill us all’

Anthropic founder Dario Amodei argued in a Saturday essay that tech companies need to "slow" the pace at which they develop the newest and most sophisticated AI models, part of a wave of recent warnings from AI industry insiders. The Guardian's Wednesday briefing questions whether such claims should be trusted, noting it pays to be suspicious of giant companies that say they are building tools capable of destroying humanity, and asks what governments should do in response. Separately, Senator Bernie Sanders and strategist Steve Bannon both called for restrictions on artificial intelligence while offering competing visions of what they termed a "cold war" with China.

In today’s newsletter: It is hard to tell fact from fiction when it comes to AI. What is really going on – and what should the government do about it? Good morning. As a general rule, it pays to be suspicious of any gigantic company that claims it’s developing a tool capable of destroying humanity. But in recent days, a number of warnings from the AI industry have suggested that even tech insiders are starting to worry about what they have unleashed. In a lofty essay published on Saturday, Dario Amodei, the founder of Anthropic the company behind Claude , argued that tech companies need to “slow” the pace at which they’re developing the newest and most sophisticated AI models. Lucy Letby | Three babies might have survived if hospital had acted upon concerns over Lucy Letby, an inquiry has found. Lady Justice Thirlwall condemned the ‘complete failure’ to protect babies on neonatal unit at Countess of Chester hospital. UK politics | The leader of Reform UK in Wales stood down after arrest on suspicion of assault. Dan Thomas, a former Tory councillor, was elected to Senedd as leader of the opposition in May. AI | The progressive senator Bernie Sanders and rightwing strategist Steve Bannon have called for restrictions on artificial intelligence AI but offered competing visions for what they termed a “cold war” with China. UK news | Young people in Rotherham face a local jobs market with the fewest suitable opportunities in Britain, according to a report that warns stark regional divisions are fuelling a crisis in youth work. Defence | John Healey is in talks with the Canadian government about joining a new global defence bank intended to help allies rearm to counter mounting security threats, just weeks after Rachel Reeves rejected the move. Continue reading...