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An AI 'godfather' is raising a red flag over AI agents

Jan 24, 2025 - businessinsider.com
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio warned against the development of AI agents, which are systems that can act independently of human input. Bengio expressed concerns that such agents, especially those with the power of artificial general intelligence (AGI), could lead to catastrophic scenarios. He advocates for the development of non-agentic systems that can control agentic ones, emphasizing the need for significant investment in sophisticated monitoring systems and national regulations to ensure AI safety.

Bengio, alongside other AI leaders like Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, discussed the importance of mitigating risks associated with AI agents. They highlighted the potential for AI to contribute to scientific discovery without being agentic, citing examples like DeepMind's protein folding breakthrough. Both Bengio and Hassabis agree on the necessity of cybersecurity measures and controlled experimentation with AI agents. However, they acknowledge the economic pressures driving the development of agentic systems, as businesses recognize their potential for tangible returns on investment.

Key takeaways:

  • Yoshua Bengio warns against AI agents, suggesting they could lead to catastrophic scenarios if they achieve AGI.
  • Bengio advocates for building non-agentic systems to control agentic systems and mitigate risks.
  • There is a push for national regulation to ensure AI companies prove the safety of agentic models before development.
  • Bengio and Demis Hassabis agree on the need for measures to mitigate AI risks, but note the economic drive towards agentic systems.
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