Could AI Destroy the World? A Debate with Stuart Russell and Jürgen Schmidhuber | Counterpoint
Foreign Policy
Close Listening Who Has to Be Sure Both expect machines far smarter than us, and neither thinks control is guaranteed. Stuart Russell says we cannot bet the species on their goodwill; Jürgen Schmidhuber says their goals will barely touch ours. Their Counterpoint debate in seven exchanges, from the control problem to what would move each of them. Listen closely →Featuring
AI safetyAI governanceAI
Foreign Policy’s Counterpoint, hosted by Nick Danforth, sets two founders of the field on opposite sides of one question: could AI destroy the world? Russell argues yes, that systems more capable than us could escape our control. Schmidhuber argues the fear is speculative and makes the case for optimism. They disagree over whether human and machine interests can be aligned, what evolution says about conflicting goals, and where AI is heading in the long run, then come down to near-term risks, policy, and whether commercial motives are steering the debate.
