London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

High-profile tech leaders say AI is developing too fast and we should pause. Google's Bard says it's complicated.

High-profile tech leaders say AI is developing too fast and we should pause. Google's Bard says it's complicated.

If you ask a chatbot whether artificial intelligence is growing too fast, it will equivocate. If you ask a group of high-profile tech leaders and researchers, they'll answer a firm "yes."
"There is no definitive answer to this question as it is a complex issue with many different perspectives," Google's AI engine, Bard, told Insider as part of a response to a query about whether the technology is developing at an unsafe pace.

Yet some of the brightest minds behind the development of AI and a roster of bold-faced tech names argued this week that it is indeed time to pump the brakes. That could involve companies coming up with standards and declaring how they are using or plan to use AI, business leaders told Insider.

In a letter that had drawn more than 1,800 signatures, luminaries from Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter, to Steve Wozniak, a cofounder of Apple, to researchers from top universities including Harvard and Oxford said the world is moving too fast in adopting AI without understanding the ramifications of going big on a fundamentally different type of technology.

"Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever-more-powerful digital minds that no one — not even their creators — can understand, predict, or reliably control," the letter reads.

Insider's Emilia David also wrote that calling a time-out makes a lot of sense.

While the letter agrees that engineers should develop AI systems, what's causing alarm is that there are no agreed-upon guardrails for how models like ChatGPT, GPT4, Bard, and other generative-AI systems should operate.

"Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable," the letter read.

To get there, companies like SAP, the German software giant that helps businesses with financial reporting, inventory tracking, and human-resources services, are establishing standards for their own teams. Others, like PwC, the global accounting-and-consulting firm, advised CEOs to be open about how and where they're incorporating the technology.

"AI is a fast-moving field of technology that is also creating new possibilities every day," Sebastian Wieczorek, the vice president of artificial-intelligence technology and the global lead of AI ethics at SAP, told Insider.

All businesses should be asking themselves whether they know what AI is doing, Wes Bricker, a vice chair at PwC, told Insider.

"AI will transform significant areas of the business," he said, and as we all discover how tech will enable us all to do our jobs better, "business leaders have a responsibility for being transparent as we learn more about AI."

It's no secret that AI is fast-moving, sometimes with unexpected consequences. Bing's Sydney AI chatbot, anyone? Goldman Sachs said this week that AI could boost worker productivity so much that annual world GDP could jump by 7%.

"It's a constant update," Wieczorek said of SAP. He said questions SAP teams are asking include, "How can we improve that?" "What are the steps that they're taking so that we can see the available data?" "What's the value that we can achieve?" "What's the accuracy we can achieve with technologies at hand?"

Bricker said business leaders need to work on improving the rules around AI systems and processes. "Do we have good, clear governance guidelines, so that we understand where we're using it, and we're not misusing it or overusing it?" he said, adding that AI needs to be "understandable and explainable."

AI uses extensive amounts of data, much of it sensitive, and "businesses have a responsibility to protect that data," Bricker said. He added that they need to understand "where AI is placing the experience or security at risk."

There are many reasons businesses and consumers might be excited about — and embrace — AI. For one, Wieczorek said, many businesses grapple with similar types of problems that AI could help remedy. These include challenges around internal and external communications, financing, HR processes, promotions, training, and retirement planning.

SAP focuses its AI development on the improvement and standardization of common business processes. One thing Wieczorek said he reminds his teams of is that the way engineers build programs like ChatGPT, GPT4 or Bard mostly trains the programs on text. They eventually need to be trained on other types of data, such as images. "These models seem to be simple and rudimentary. It can answer mathematical equations or riddles, but not to the extent humans can right now," Wieczorek said.

Humans should be at the center of any AI-ethics policy, Wieczorek said. "We want to support humans in making decisions. In fact, for every use case, SAP mandates a series of questions to assess risk, including questions about processing personal and sensitive data."'

Bard has its own idea about a world that contains more AI: "I am aware that AI has the potential to cause harm, and I am concerned about the potential risks of AI. However, I am also confident that AI can be used for good, and that we can develop AI in a way that minimizes the risks and maximizes the benefits."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×