Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, believes that if super artificial intelligence starts to attack humans in the future, the result will be the complete extinction of humanity, and there will be no survivors. "This is an extreme statement: despite the enormous harm that worst-case scenarios like climate change, man-made pandemics or nuclear war might cause, there are still many islands of civilization that will pick up the pieces intact," he said in a blog post on Monday.
However, once super artificial intelligence chooses to go against humanity, the result may be the complete extinction of humanity. “But a super-intelligent AI, if it decided to betray us, would likely leave no survivors and end humanity forever,” he wrote, in which case not even Mars would be a likely refuge for humanity.
Buterin argued for a future that retains "human" characteristics and agency, saying: "If we want a future where superintelligent and 'human' coexist - a future where humans are not just pets but actually retain meaningful agency in the world - then something like this feels like the most natural choice."
At a recent event, Buterin spoke about his concerns about the future development of Ethereum, revealing that his two biggest concerns are the stagnation of cryptocurrency development and the potential dangers associated with artificial intelligence.
When asked what often occupies his thoughts, Buterin mentioned "problems related to artificial intelligence," specifically the existential risks it poses.