Cathie Wood backs AI slowdown pledge, dismisses extinction warnings

Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Investment Management, endorsed the AI industry's push to slow capabilities development on Tuesday while dismissing warnings from researchers that AI could kill humans before the end of the decade. "That's ridiculous," Wood told reporters in Sydney, referring to the researchers' social media posts about AI posing a lethal risk. "Yet, it gives us a great opportunity to focus the world on cybersecurity in this space." Wood said she welcomed the scrutiny of AI's trajectory. "Having been in the tech and telecom bubble, which ended in a bust, I'm happy that the leaders of the industry are advertising the risks associated with this new technology," she told reporters in Sydney. "Half of the solution is understanding the problem.