"Artificial Intelligence can be used by terrorists" - what is the former Google boss warning about?

The former Google CEO is concerned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be used to "harm innocent people".

Eric Schmidt said: “The real fear I have is not what most people talk about with AI – I talk about extreme risk.”

The tech billionaire, who held senior positions at Google from 2001 to 2017, said that "North Korea, or Iran, or even Russia" could adopt and misuse the technology to create biological weapons.

He called for government oversight of private technology companies that are developing AI models, but warned that excessive regulation could stifle innovation.

It is learned that Schmidt agreed to US export controls on the powerful microchips that power the most advanced AI systems.

Before leaving office, former US President Joe Biden restricted the export of microchips to all but 18 countries in order to slow the progress of opponents in AI research.

But the decision could still be overturned by Donald Trump, writes with the BBC, the Telegraph reports.

"Think about North Korea, Iran, or even Russia, who have a malicious intent," Schmidt said.

"This technology is fast enough to be adopted that they can misuse it and do real harm," Schmidt said.

He added that AI systems, in the wrong hands, could be used to develop weapons for "a biological attack by some bad person."

"I'm always concerned about the Osama Bin Laden scenario, where you have a truly evil person who takes over an aspect of our modern life and uses it to harm innocent people," he said.

Bin Laden is reported to have orchestrated the September 11 attacks in 2001, in which planes were used to kill thousands of people on American soil.

Schmidt proposed a balance between government oversight of AI development and overregulation of the sector.

By contrast, he was speaking from Paris, where the AI ​​Action Summit ended with the US and UK refusing to sign the agreement.

US Vice President JD Vance said the regulation would "kill a transformative industry just as it was taking off." /Telegraph/