https://www.facebook.com/reel/1632218855196806
'The world needs to slow AI down' Anthropic co-founder tells BBC | BBC News
Sep 14, 2026
AI is getting more powerful "by the day" and a kill switch may be required by firms, one of the co-founders of AI company Anthropic has told the BBC.
Jack Clark says AI moves faster than other technology - "getting smarter and more capable every few months", which could become a "major risk to society".
During the interview with the BBC's Faisal Islam, Clark responded directly to concerns from BBC viewers - including worries about the impact on future generations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8MOhlqC4U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8MOhlqC4U
Anthropic warning: humans may need “kill switches” to shut down rogue AI systems | BBC News
Sep 14, 2026
#BBCNews
AI “kill switches” may need to be mandatory for companies developing the technology, according to a co-founder of Anthropic, one of the world's largest AI firms.
Jack Clark told the BBC that a way of shutting off AI software completely if it gets too dangerous was something society "might want to eventually pass rules around". Clark said "most labs have different ways of being able to pull the plug", including Anthropic, but said lawmakers may need to enforce that.
AI's rapid developement and fears over the risks it poses to humanity have been thrust into the spotlight by a series of warnings from executives and staff at AI firms. Some have said publicly there is a chance the technology could, if unchecked, kill all humans.
Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has called for the pace of AI development to slow and be more closely monitored. He said such action should be done "without sacrificing commercial advantage".
Jack Clark told the BBC that specifics around "kill switch" requirements and verification should be part of "the larger policy conversation" taking place around AI: “Should you mandate for companies to definitely have a kill switch? Is that kill switch verifiable by a third party?" he asked. “ I think that's the kind of thing society is going to want to know and might want to eventually pass rules around."
Anthropic, which was formed in 2021 by a group of former employees of its rival OpenAI, is currently at the centre of a debate around AI safety. Last week, a post from an artificial intelligence researcher who quit Anthropic over concerns AI could wipe out humanity went viral.
Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger said he personally thought the possibility of human extinction from AI was greater than 10% within the next decade. Computer scientist and Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, known as the "Godfather of AI", told the BBC he believed that a 10% chance of AI killing all humans was not unreasonable.
However, some in the AI industry have also suggested the fears around it destroying humanity are overstated or may be designed to generate hype.
Fiona Bruce presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Faisal Islam and Zoe Kleinman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeuXuiTK9iE
AI “kill switches” may need to be mandatory for companies developing the technology, according to a co-founder of Anthropic, one of the world's largest AI firms.
Jack Clark told the BBC that a way of shutting off AI software completely if it gets too dangerous was something society "might want to eventually pass rules around". Clark said "most labs have different ways of being able to pull the plug", including Anthropic, but said lawmakers may need to enforce that.
AI's rapid developement and fears over the risks it poses to humanity have been thrust into the spotlight by a series of warnings from executives and staff at AI firms. Some have said publicly there is a chance the technology could, if unchecked, kill all humans.
Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has called for the pace of AI development to slow and be more closely monitored. He said such action should be done "without sacrificing commercial advantage".
Jack Clark told the BBC that specifics around "kill switch" requirements and verification should be part of "the larger policy conversation" taking place around AI: “Should you mandate for companies to definitely have a kill switch? Is that kill switch verifiable by a third party?" he asked. “ I think that's the kind of thing society is going to want to know and might want to eventually pass rules around."
Anthropic, which was formed in 2021 by a group of former employees of its rival OpenAI, is currently at the centre of a debate around AI safety. Last week, a post from an artificial intelligence researcher who quit Anthropic over concerns AI could wipe out humanity went viral.
Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger said he personally thought the possibility of human extinction from AI was greater than 10% within the next decade. Computer scientist and Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, known as the "Godfather of AI", told the BBC he believed that a 10% chance of AI killing all humans was not unreasonable.
However, some in the AI industry have also suggested the fears around it destroying humanity are overstated or may be designed to generate hype.
Fiona Bruce presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Faisal Islam and Zoe Kleinman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeuXuiTK9iE
