We are undoubtedly in the age of Artificial Intelligence, a powerful technology that is rapidly advancing across various sectors, opening up new possibilities yet also raising concerns about potential misuse. Notably, AI chatbots are becoming more prevalent for diverse tasks, yet there is growing anxiety about AI replacing human jobs—a worry echoed by numerous tech leaders like Elon Musk.
Warren Buffett, the billionaire CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, recently expressed his concerns about AI, likening its dangers to those of nuclear weapons in a CNN report. At his annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, Buffett remarked, ”We let a genie out of the bottle when we developed nuclear weapons and that genie has been doing some terrible things lately, and the power of that genie is what scares the hell out of me. And on the other hand, I don’t know any way to get the genie back in the bottle. It’s partway out of the bottle, and it’s enormously important, and it’s going to be done by somebody.”
Buffett’s concern over AI deepfake: Personal encounter raises alarm
Admitting his limited understanding of the technical aspects of AI, Buffett still expressed concern over its potential negative impacts. He recounted a troubling incident involving AI where his identity was convincingly duplicated: ”I had one experience that does make me a little nervous, and I’ll just explain it. Fairly recently, I saw an image in front of my eyes on the screen, and it was me and it was my voice. And wearing the kind of clothes I wear. My wife or my daughter wouldn’t have been able to detect any difference. And it was delivering a message that no way came from me.”
Buffett pointed out, “If I was interested in investing in scamming, it’s going to be the fastest-growing industry of all time.” He warned of the dual nature of AI, its capacity for both significant benefit and great harm, emphasizing the need for careful regulation and responsible usage to prevent misuse and ensure AI serves the greater good.
”Scammers have always been part of the American scene. As someone who doesn’t understand a damn thing about it, it has enormous potential for good and enormous potential for harm and I just don’t know how that plays out,” he concluded, underscoring the critical need for oversight in the development and deployment of AI technologies.