Mo Gawdat Warns 83-Minute Film AI Could Escape Human Control

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 12

Former Google X executive Mo Gawdat anchors “Chasing Utopia,” an 83-minute documentary that frames AI as a fast-moving ethical threat rather than a neutral tool.
Gawdat argues AI is already amplifying digital narcissism, surveillance and automated warfare, and says its exponential advance could push systems beyond human control.
His warning is shaped by personal loss: he left Google after his son died following a botched appendix operation, giving his campaign for a moral dimension in AI development added urgency.
The film says benevolence and empathy should shape AI training, but it offers few concrete details on how “enlightened” AI would work as tech leaders keep racing ahead.

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