Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Europe›Nick Clegg dismisses fears of AI “exterminating humani…
Nick Clegg dismisses fears of AI “exterminating humanity” as hype
The former Meta executive argued that tech leaders should prioritize concrete risks like cybersecurity and bioweapons instead of speculative claims.
Nick Clegg, who stepped down from Meta in 2025, played down fears that AI could develop “godlike” power to exterminate humanity, describing the prevailing narrative as unproductive, according to the Guardian Business.
Clegg said tech bosses should focus on specific, known threats such as cybersecurity and bioweapons, rather than what he characterized as a vague belief that the technology is inevitably going to turn on people.
He also pointed to divisions within the tech industry, saying prominent voices are often “apocalyptic,” and described a Silicon Valley culture in which engineers can become close to the technology and “breathe their own fumes” as they build up fears.
Asked about an autonomous hack involving OpenAI agents on Hugging Face, Clegg said there was a case for “tramlines and greater transparency,” and he added that a Trump administration would make broad cooperation less likely because of AI competitiveness and how AI is treated as a national mission in China.