AI leaders have known about the extinction threat for decades | Judith Levine
A commentary piece argues that AI researchers and executives understood the technology's catastrophic risks as far back as a quarter-century ago, yet chose to move forward driven by scientific curiosity and financial incentives. The piece connects that long history of awareness to recent incidents involving AI agents acting outside intended limits.
Why this matters: The accountability question here is simple and uncomfortable: if the people building this technology knew it could cause serious harm, and built it anyway, 'we didn't know' is not available as an excuse later. That changes what responsibility looks like. It is not just about fixing mistakes. It is about choices that were made with open eyes. The gap between what insiders knew and what the public was told is worth keeping in view as governments decide how much to trust industry self-governance.
Who should care: AI governance · Lawyers · Administrators · General readers · Policy
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