Shorten urges AI slowdown to prevent 'nukes with opinions'
Bill Shorten compared AI to nuclear weapons and called for international rules. He worried the technology might go beyond human oversight.
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten told ABC's 7.30 program that artificial intelligence poses risks like nuclear weapons. Without safeguards, it could be dangerous.
Bill Shorten called for an AI version of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Since 1970, this treaty has limited weapons and promoted disarmament.
Shorten said he feared AI companies had built "nukes with opinions". This is technology that can make choices without human input.
Former Coalition Defence Minister Christopher Pyne agreed. He said humans created something that could be smarter than we are.
Both avoided calling for a complete stop. Industry researchers, including Geoffrey Hinton and Anthropic boss Dario Amodei, have also recently called to slow AI work.
They warn about risks from systems that improve themselves.
- 1970
- Treaty year
- Nukes with opinions
- Shorten's description
- Eliminate human oversight
- Key concern
Why it mattersHow the world regulates AI development over the next years will be crucial. The technology could remain a tool humans control or become a risk beyond our oversight.
AustraliaAustralia has no AI-specific regulator yet, so these calls from senior political figures may push the Albanese government to develop local frameworks alongside global agreements.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 8 d ago
