Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, recently warned about the danger of advanced artificial intelligence, hinting at a potential “existential risk” that could have the power to harm or kill many people. In a discussion with The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council, Schmidt highlighted how cyber systems have the capability to find zero-day exploits or uncover new forms of biology. To this end, Schmidt urged governments to calm fears by making sure the technology is “not misused by evil people”.
Schmidt headed up Google from 2001 to 2011 and was Executive Chairman of the company until 2015. He also took part in the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.
Due to an increasing number of high-profile figures in the tech world such as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak expressing concerns over a range of AI’s potential threats, Schmidt reassured audiences that automation of jobs could not be the cause of a dearth of available employees in the near future, citing large population data as evidence.
Interestingly, he also gave his opinion on future demographics, noting that the world is not having enough children and therefore is facing a potential crisis of care for the older generations.
Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in internet-related services and products. It was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998 and is possibly the most well-known search engine in the world. The company has dominated the software, search and media industries, providing a host of services, products and mobile applications. These include products such as Google Drive, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Home.
Eric Emerson Schmidt is an American businessman and software engineer who formerly served as the CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011 and executive chairman from 2011 to 2015. Schmidt is currently serving on the boards of Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., and the Coleman Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership at UC Berkeley. He has also held a number of positions within the US government. He was the National Security Commission’s chair of the Artificial Intelligence Commission and a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Throughout his career, Schmidt has made numerous investments in technology companies and is a widely influential figure in the tech world.
