Not sentient AI killing us off, China is a bigger threat, says Open AI investor Vinod Khosla

Renowned OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla says that the real threat to the world is China, not sentient AI. He added, "Doomers are focusing on the wrong risks."

Vinod Khosla cited concerns like China leveraging advanced AI to manipulate elections through targeted outreach using numerous bots to influence individual voters. (Bloomberg)

Since the advent of AI, there has been a divide between those who think this tech is a boon and those who feel that it will bring doom to humanity. While the risks of artificial intelligence are being debated across the world at all levels, some famous industry leaders have different views. Renowned investor Vinod Khosla, a key figure in the early backing of OpenAI, has stirred debate by emphasizing that the real threat to the world is China, not artificial intelligence. Khosla, who invested a substantial $50 million in OpenAI through his venture capital firm Khosla Ventures in 2019, shared his insights at Fortune's Brainstorm AI conference. Another top OpenAI investor who subsequently moved out was Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Check here to know what Khosla said.

China is the real threat?

According to the statement given by 68-year-old billionaire Vinod Khosla to Fortune, "The doomers are focusing on the wrong risks. By far, orders of magnitude, higher risk to worry about, is China, not sentient AI killing us off. He added that the existential risk of sentient AI can be as threatening as an asteroid colliding with Earth. Khosla highlighted practical risks in the realm of artificial intelligence. He cited concerns like China leveraging advanced AI to manipulate elections through targeted outreach using numerous bots to influence individual voters. According to him, the economic race over the next 25 years will be won by the country that dominates the AI race.

According to a report by Business Insider, during his recent appearance on the "Cerebral Valley Podcast," Khosla expressed his belief that people tend to be overly pessimistic about AI. He cautioned that people are focusing only on the dystopian side of AI, ignoring all the advantages it can provide.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded Sun Microsystems four decades ago, dismissed the recent turmoil at OpenAI involving the ousting and subsequent reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman as a manifestation of misguided concerns about AI. Khosla criticized the former board members who orchestrated Altman's temporary removal, attributing it to misinformed decision-making rather than rational governance. He believes that OpenAI is now in a stronger position after the episode.

Vinod Khosla's stance underscores a growing divide in the perception of AI risks. It shows that we need to focus on immediate geopolitical challenges rather than hypothetical existential threats. As the debate continues, the narrative around AI's impact on society and global competition is evolving, fuelled by the different viewpoints around the world.