The launch of the AI Safety Clock

In 1947, the Doomsday Clock was first proposed as a way to highlight the danger of nuclear destruction. It ticked dangerously close to midnight throughout the Cold War, particularly during geopolitical flashpoints like the Cuban missile crisis.

Nuclear weapons don’t loom quite as large in the public imagination today. But another potentially destructive technology does.

Breakthroughs in machine learning have caused many to wonder when computers might take over, and so IMD has launched its own AI Safety Clock. It’s a tool designed to evaluate the risks of uncontrolled artificial general intelligence (UAGI) – autonomous AI systems that operate without human oversight and could potentially cause significant harm.

Just like the Doomsday Clock, the closer the AI Safety Clock ticks to midnight, the higher the risk of AI becomes. You can find out more here.