This Former DeepMind Exec Thinks the AI Arms Race Could End in Disaster
Verity Harding, a former DeepMind executive, told WIRED that the U.S. government's nationalist approach to AI development signals a dangerous trajectory. She believes the competitive, win-at-all-costs framing of the global AI race increases the risk of a worst-case outcome.
Why this matters: When someone who built AI at one of the most powerful labs in the world says the current path looks like a disaster forming in slow motion, that is worth taking seriously. The concern is not science fiction. It is about what happens when governments treat AI as a weapon in a geopolitical competition rather than a technology that needs real guardrails. Speed becomes the priority. Safety becomes the obstacle. And the people who will live with the consequences are not the ones making the calls.
Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy
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