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What happens when AI builds itself?

What happens when AI builds itself?

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What happens if AI models get so good that they can build their own successors? So model A builds a better model B, which then builds an even better model C, without any humans to slow things down? The answer could be a high-speed rush towards an AI superintelligence that is beyond human understanding, and possibly beyond human control. This process, known as recursive self-improvement, may be much closer than people realise—perhaps just a couple of years away. So is the world ready for an artificial intelligence explosion?


Guests and hosts:

  • Max Tegmark, MIT physics professor, co-founder and leader of the Future of Life Institute
  • Alex Hern, The Economist’s AI writer
  • Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor


Topics covered:

  • Recursive self-improvement in AI
  • Anthropic’s Fable 5
  • US export ban


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