World ‘may not have time’ to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher
AI safety expert David Dalrymple said rapid advances could outpace efforts to control powerful systems
The world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge AI systems, according to a leading figure at the UK government’s scientific research agency. David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the Aria agency, told the Guardian people should be concerned about the growing capability of the technology
David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the UK government’s Aria agency, warns that rapid advances in AI could outpace global efforts to make the technology safe, potentially destabilising security and the economy if safety does not catch up.
Five comprehension questions
- Who is David Dalrymple, and what role does he hold in relation to AI research and safety?
- Why does Dalrymple say the world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by advanced AI systems?
- What concerns does Dalrymple raise about AI systems that can perform all the functions humans use to “get things done in the world, but better”?
- How does the UK’s AI Security Institute describe the recent rate of improvement in advanced AI models’ capabilities, including task performance and self‑replication tests?
- What kinds of measures does Dalrymple argue governments and researchers should prioritise if they cannot fully prove advanced AI systems are reliable in time?
Two essay questions
- To what extent is Dalrymple justified in claiming that human civilisation is “sleepwalking” into an AI-driven transition, and how should governments balance economic incentives with the need for safety and control?
- Discuss the potential social, economic and security consequences if, within the next five years, most economically valuable tasks are performed by AI systems more cheaply and at higher quality than humans, as Dalrymple predicts. In your answer, consider both possible benefits and risks.
