SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, one of the biggest backers of the artificial intelligence space, issued a rare warning about the risks of the technology as its capabilities rapidly advance.
Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the Science and Technology in Society Forum in Kyoto on Sunday, Son called for countries to build trust and work together to address the potential threats posed by powerful AI models, Bloomberg reported.
"We don't have any more luxury of having human fight against human," Son said, adding that superintelligence in the wrong hands can become "super dangerous."
The warning struck an uncharacteristic tone from the SoftBank CEO. Son has previously been an outspoken advocate of AI's benefits for humanity and, under his leadership, SoftBank has poured nearly $65 billion into frontier AI lab OpenAI, according to Reuters.
Exponential AI growth
AI capabilities will continue to grow exponentially, Son said, with the technology ready to help robots and other machines interact with the physical world starting next year. He also reiterated his projection that AI and intelligent machines will account for at least 20% of global GDP by 2040.
Son spoke alongside White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, who attended the event to endorse the Kyoto Vision on behalf of the U.S. alongside representatives from 16 other countries responsible for science, technology, and innovation. The joint declaration reflects a shared ambition to strengthen science ecosystems and "usher in a golden age of discovery and prosperity."