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“The end is near.” That familiar refrain has echoed for millennia without coming to fruition. The argument
has been made that the rapid pace of artificial intelligence has brought the world closer to that apocalyptic end.
Bill Gates has issued a stark warning that artificial intelligence could cause “a billion deaths” if it falls into the wrong hands.
He called for mandatory government regulation and internal monitoring safeguards, stating a bipartisan “kill switch” alone is insufficient.
Sam Altman, the chief executive of Open AI, joined others in the artificial intelligence industry in saying that his company would welcome a slower development pace for AI to ensure that the technology’s capabilities don’t “get ahead of alignment and monitoring.”
Recently, Jacob Coxon — a former safety researcher two prominent tech companies, Anthropic and Open AI —
issued a warning about AI as he announced his resignation from Anthropic. That sentiment is not universally accepted by some AI developers, including Nvidia’s co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang. Huang dismissed the need for new regulations, saying that existing U.S. laws governing product liability and unauthorized entry are sufficient. He added that he agrees with President Trump’s view that the AI industry doesn’t need additional guardrails. A segment of our government has described this a “hoax” & the potential ominous warnings as nothing to be concerned with including President Trump who has pushed back on the calls for action, saying “The only control or
‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” That sentiment would have greater credence if the Nation was blessed with an individual who possessed those characteristics. Bill Gates’s opinion that AI in concert with what I will term MI (Malevolent Intelligence) is the hybrid entity that may lead to universal calamity. The President recently convened a summit of the titans of AI & all in attendance agreed to sign a letter of intent that their companies would pursue a vigilant path of self-regulation. This gathering was high on pomp and circumstance but provided little substance on the issue at hand. The President dismissed the need for Government regulation stating that the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI, and the CIA were sufficient existing guardrails to handle potential bad actors in the industry.
Historically speaking, a reliance on corporate benefice to place the public good over profit has a dubious past. Pollution of our air and water was rampant prior to Government regulation. The Clean Air Act of 1970 was designed to control air pollution on a national level and protect public health and the environment. I grew up in Lackawanna, N.Y., which was the home of a massive steel plant. Only on rare occasions could the Canadian shoreline ( only 9 miles across Lake Erie) be visible. Subsequent to the enactment & enforcement of the Clean Air Act the Canadian shoreline was readily visible & not shrouded in the clouds of air pollution.
Those regulations were needed as a reliance on corporate self-regulation was a fool’s errand. Anecdotally, this revelation came to me quite directly. As a recent high school graduate, I was employed at Bethlehem Steel when the Clean Air Act was first enacted. I happened to be working the night shift in the open-hearth ovens when I
Commented to my supervisor that the air quality was particularly oppressive, even by past Lackawanna
standards. The supervisor then commented in a matter of fact manner that the stack air scrubbers (anti air pollution devices) were disabled at night. Their operation was expensive & the bottom line was cost containment not the health of the population. To this day I remember his sardonic comment, ” The Federal inspectors are 9 to 5ers -as night falls so do the scrubbers!” So much for Corporate leadership to self-regulate and/or obey regulations without strict enforcement. On the positive side, AI promises to be the harbinger of dramatic breakthroughs in many fields
including health care, marketing & E-commerce, manufacturing, & Agriculture. The development & universal adoption of the internet is widely regarded as a boon to mankind because it has revolutionized communication, education, commerce, and access to knowledge, enabling global connectivity, and unprecedented opportunities for individuals and societies. MI however, seized the day on this technological Advancement as Americans lost a record $20.8 billion to $21 billion in reported online scams and cybercrime in 2025 according to official FBI data, while advocacy groups estimate the true economic toll reached nearly $148.2 billion when factoring in unreported crimes cybercrime in 2025 according to official FBI data, while advocacy groups estimate the true economic toll reached nearly $148.2 billion when factoring in unreported crimes .If the President's assertion that the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI, and the CIA were sufficient existing guardrails to handle potential bad actors in the AI industry - the history successful prosecution of internet cybercrime does not support that wishful thinking. Compounding the imminent threat is the composition of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology which holds jurisdiction over technology, science, and interstate Commerce. With all due respect, two of the prominent Committee members are Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa): Born September 17, 1933, 93 years old & Dick Durbin (D-Illinois): Born November 21, 1944, 81 years old.
The quote "Houston - we have a problem'" comes to mind. Proper regulation of any issue, much less one as dynamic as AI requires in-depth understanding of the issue. A Committee composed of tech savvy Geek Squad-like members is a sine qua non .
As the danger to humanity is not just economic but potentially cataclysmic due to MI integration with AI, reliance on corporate self-regulation would be misguided & myopic.
David J. Switala is a Lakewood resident.