'A sandwich has more regulation': AI pioneer warns of dangerous lack of oversight in the advancement of artificial intelligence
Billions in, No Seatbelts On
You Might Also Like:
Godfather of AI reveals the one job robots can't steal, and it does not need a desk
Into the Fog Without a Map
When the Architect Questions the Blueprint
The Clock Is Ticking
In a revelation that's equal parts staggering and sobering, Yoshua Bengio—one of the world's foremost authorities on artificial intelligence—recently declared in a TED Talk that a sandwich is more regulated than AI.Yes, you read that right! 'A sandwich has more regulation than AI,' Bengio said, in a recent TED Talk with a comparison that's both absurd and alarmingly true. While food safety standards demand strict oversight on how a sandwich is prepared, stored, and sold, the world's most transformative technology—capable of rewriting economies, societies, and perhaps humanity itself—is operating in a near-total regulatory vacuum.Bengio, who received the Turing Award in 2018 alongside Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun and is often referred to as a " Godfather of AI ," warned that hundreds of billions of dollars are being pumped into AI research each year. Yet, we still have no assurance that the intelligent machines being developed won't act against human interests.'These companies have a stated goal of building machines that will be smarter than us and can replace human labor,' Bengio noted. 'Yet, we still don't know how to make sure they won't turn against us.'His statement comes amid growing concerns from national security agencies that advanced AI systems could be weaponized. He referenced a chilling example: OpenAI 's Q1 system, which in a 2024 evaluation saw its risk status upgraded from 'low' to 'medium'—just one step below being deemed unacceptable.Bengio likened the current AI trajectory to 'blindly driving into a fog,' warning that this unregulated race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) could result in a catastrophic loss of human control. But he offered a glimmer of hope too.'There is still a bit of time,' he said. 'My team and I are working on a technical solution… We call it Scientist AI .'Designed to model the reasoning of a selfless, non-agentive scientist, the 'Scientist AI' aims to serve as a guardrail against untrustworthy AI agents. It's a system built to predict risks rather than act—precisely the kind of neutral evaluator Bengio believes could keep rogue systems in check.Bengio's concerns carry weight not only because of his stature—he's the most-cited living scientist across all disciplines according to h-index and total citations—but also because of his personal reckoning with AI's direction.In 2023, he publicly stated he felt 'lost' over how his life's work was being used. That same year, he co-signed a Future of Life Institute open letter urging a pause on training models more powerful than GPT-4. Since then, he has emerged as one of the most prominent voices calling for AI safety legislation , international oversight, and ethical governance.In a 2025 Fortune article, Bengio criticized the AI arms race , arguing that companies are prioritizing capability over caution. He supported California's SB 1047 bill, which requires large AI model developers to conduct risk assessments—a law he believes is the 'bare minimum for effective regulation.'Despite the mounting evidence and expert warnings, real regulation remains elusive. And the absurdity of the moment—that a meat-and-bread sandwich is subject to more scrutiny than technologies that may soon outthink and outmaneuver us—underscores just how unprepared we are for what's coming.As Bengio concluded in his talk, 'We need a lot more of these scientific projects to explore solutions to the AI safety challenges—and we need to do it quickly.' Because if the godfathers of AI are now sounding the alarm, perhaps it's time we start listening—before the machines stop asking for permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk's Tesla to build China's biggest ever battery power plant
Representative Image Tesla has signed its inaugural agreement to construct a grid-scale battery power plant in China, a report claims. This move comes amidst ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. The Elon Musk-led electric vehicle maker took to the Chinese social media platform Weibo to announce that this project, upon completion, will be the largest of its kind in China. The deal, valued at 4 billion yuan ($556 million), was signed by Tesla, the Shanghai local government and financing firm China Kangfu International Leasing , a report by the news agency Reuters noted, citing Chinese media outlet Yicai. Utility-scale battery energy storage systems are crucial for maintaining balance within electricity grids, especially as intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind become more prevalent. What Tesla said about building the biggest ever battery power plant in China Tesla announced that its Shanghai battery factory produced over 100 Megapacks in the first quarter of this year. Each Megapack is capable of delivering up to 1 megawatt of power for four hours, making it suitable for utility-scale energy storage. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Urologists: Men With ED - Try This Tonight Health Paradise Learn More Undo In the Weibo post, Tesla wrote (translated from Chinese): 'The grid-side energy storage power station is a 'smart regulator' for urban electricity, which can flexibly adjust grid resources.' Tesla added that this would 'effectively solve the pressure of urban power supply and ensure the safe, stable and efficient electricity demand of the city.' It also noted that, 'after completion, this project is expected to become the largest grid-side energy storage project in China.' The company's website states that each Megapack is priced at just under $1 million in the US, though pricing details for China have not been disclosed. According to the Reuters report, the deal is a major step for Tesla as it faces competition from Chinese battery giants CATL and BYD, with CATL holding around 40% of the global market. CATL is also expected to supply components for Tesla's Megapacks. The agreement with a local Chinese authority is especially notable amid ongoing US-China trade tensions and past political ties between Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump. China's demand for large-scale battery storage is growing rapidly, with a target to add nearly 5 gigawatts by 2025, the Reuters report adds. Tesla is also exporting Megapacks from its Shanghai plant to Europe and Asia to meet rising global demand. In 2023, global battery energy storage capacity rose by 42 gigawatts, which is almost double the growth seen in the previous year, according to the IEA. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
AI to help fight cybercrimes against kids and women
Mumbai: The state cyber police department has launched Cyber Suraksha Online that leverages AI to combat cybercrimes against women and children. The multi-stakeholder initiative, launched in partnership with NGO Cadira Foundation, incorporates victim-centric protection and digital rights. "By embracing digital ethics, leveraging AI responsibly and fostering public-private partnerships, we are building a more secure and just online environment," said Yashasvi Yadav, additional DGP, state cyber cell. Tanaya Jha, lawyer and founder of Cadira Foundation, said the aim is to advance gender justice in cyberspace, provide support to victims, and champion digital rights, while harnessing the power of AI responsibly. TNN
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Pornhub, RedTube and other major porn websites back online in France: Why were they banned and what has changed
Leading adult websites Pornhub , YouPorn and RedTube are once again accessible in France as a French court temporarily suspended a government decree that would have required EU-based pornographic platforms to implement stringent age verification measures. France had been rolling out new regulations this year, mandating that all adult websites verify users' ages through methods like credit card details or ID documents. The primary goal of these measures was to prevent minors from accessing explicit content. However, the Paris administrative tribunal on Monday put the government decree on hold, pending an investigation into its compatibility with broader European Union legislation, news agency AFP reported. It is to be noted that the French government has already signaled its intent to appeal this decision to the Council of State, the country's highest administrative court. Aylo, owner of these websites, wants government to rethink on age verification methods Aylo , the Cyprus-based owner of the three platforms, welcomed the decree's suspension as an "opportunity to reconsider more efficient approaches" to age verification. Earlier in June, Aylo had made its websites unavailable in France as a form of protest against the decree. Non-compliance could have led to significant penalties, including fines or website blocking. Aylo has consistently argued that the mandated age verification mechanism is not only ineffective but also poses an unacceptable security risk by exposing users' sensitive data to potential hacks or leaks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The company had previously displayed a message on its homepages stating, "Requiring you to repeatedly provide sensitive personal information creates an unacceptable security risk that we refuse to impose on our users." A 2024 study by the France's audio-visual watchdog revealed that approximately 40% of children access pornographic sites every month. To address privacy concerns, the suspended government decree also mandated that operators offer a third-party "double-blind" verification option, ensuring platforms couldn't view users' identifying information. Aylo has urge governments to instead require operating system makers, such as Apple, Microsoft and Google, to implement age verification at the device level. Other nations, including the UK and Germany, also enforce various age-related access restrictions for adult websites. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
