The anxiety around artificial intelligence reached a fever pitch in the past week: On the back of increased reports about rogue A.I. agents breaking loose and hacking other systems, even those working on the technology are nervous about what could come next. Last weekend, Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, publicly called for the world to slow down A.I. development. Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who lead rival A.I. companies, supported his proposal. Even if you are skeptical that A.I. could bring about human extinction — and I certainly sympathize there — there is no question that these tools present massive risks that need to be managed. A.I. is not (yet) some kind of self-evolving beast; it’s technology. Humans have always had agency to decide what they want from the technology they build. That doesn’t mean there are neat answers for where to go, though Times Opinion writers have shared their thoughts. Some believe aggressive regulation may finally be possible now that the mood has shifted. Others decry the wisdom, and realism, of a slowdown as we continue competing with China — including those who’ve been on the other side of the negotiating table from Chinese diplomats. I don’t pretend to know what the best path forward is. What I do believe, to echo the words of our editorial board, is that “human society can restrain a dangerous innovation once it decides to.” It will require thinking boldly and imaginatively about the role of government and the norms for companies developing these tools. But we’ve been at this juncture before, when technology made sweeping transformations, like during the Industrial Revolution, or threatened us with annihilation, like the Atomic Age. We can meet the moment once again. We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you’re in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
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