Reddit co-founder says tech industry has been 'tone deaf' in explaining AI: 'Misinformation flying around'

The tech industry has been "tone deaf" in explaining AI and properly informing the public about real risks, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian told CNBC on Wednesday. Ohanian said the debate around AI should focus on substantive risks rather than issues that can be used to score political points, arguing that an informed public is essential to navigating the technology. He acknowledged that the tech industry has contributed to the problem by doing a "pretty tone deaf job" of explaining AI, while suggesting that its risks are more mundane than the "Terminator and Skynet" scenarios some fear. Skynet is a fictional self-aware AI system in the "Terminator" movies that saw humans as a threat and sought to wipe them out.