Von der Leyen’s call for talks on pausing AI can’t quell extinction risk fears

STRASBOURG — Ursula von der Leyen has declared herself an AI “optimist.” Yet in the face of rising warnings of the technology’s threats to humanity, the European Commission president on Wednesday sounded far more like a realist — and one with limited room for maneuver . Von der Leyen didn’t shy away from the topic in her State of the European Union address, calling AI one of the “two tipping points of our time” and acknowledging the dangers it poses. "The warnings about the future of AI should make us more serious about safety," said key European Parliament AI lawmaker Axel Voss after the speech, touting von der Leyen's focus on "Europe's human-centered approach to AI.