A former Google executive who recently warned that AI will view humanity as "scum" and create "killing machines" has been hired by Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett.
Mo Gawdat has been named as chief AI officer at Flight Story. The tech guru has formally been chief business officer at Google X.
The digital marketing and communications company, which has offices in Manchester and London, was co-founded by Oliver Yonchev and the Diary of a CEO podcast host towards the end of 2021.
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Mr Gawdat spent more than a decade at Google X and has also previously worked for Microsoft, British American Tobacco and IBM.
At Google X he oversaw the creation of self-driving cars and the company’s Google Life sciences division.
Mr Gawdat said: "I have spent my career fascinated by the role that technology plays, and now the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced is upon us.
"Artificial intelligence is the culmination of technological advancement and it is my view that it will be unprecedented in defining the way the world is shaped.
"We need to act proactively and intelligently to its challenges: I am not in a position to not change the course of AI and its impact, but with the resources and reach I have been given, I can influence the way people perceive it - and that’s where I’m focusing my attention.
"Artificial intelligence has been entrenched in our lives for years - it’s nothing new - in social media, for example, we’ve been working to please algorithms to further our communication reach for some time now.
"The sophistication of digital intelligence is such that it has become autonomous and is something that needs to be appealed to, rather than controlled. It’s vital we stay attuned to how to do this, or risk being left behind."
Speaking on the Secret Leaders podcast last month, Mr Gawdat said: "Now that ChatGPT is upon us everyone is waking up and saying 'panic panic, let's do something about it'.
"If you look at the way your mind is thinking you're thinking about the applications, about AI completely wiping us out.
"In-between is where the issue is – between now and the time AI can generate its own computer power and do installations itself through robotic arms.
"It does have the agency to create killing machines because humans are creating them so AI might use it to dictate an agenda like the movie I, Robot. But that is still a bit far away.
"What is in the middle is the process of getting us there. Humanity is going to decide to dedicate more power to those machines."
On the new appointment Mr Bartlett added: "Artificial Intelligence embodies the greatest existential risk to life as we currently know it, while simultaneously offering the most significant opportunity for positive enhancement.
"Every enterprise employing this potent technology must be cognisant and deliberative about both aspects of this reality. Without quick and informed legislative intervention, our society risks sleepwalking into an unparalleled social and economic crisis.
"As the founder of a global marketing agency, which advises brands on implementing this technology, it is my responsibility to ensure we have industry leading experts at the very top of our team."
Mr Yonchev, who serves as Flight Story's CEO, said: "It’s clear that the gap between what companies do now, versus what they will do next, is closing quickly. This requires a new mindset to marketing and a rewriting of the rulebook.
"With Mo Gawdat onboard, and as we continue to grow our expertise in these emergent areas (with recent acquisitions Flight3 and Flight Performance), we believe we can help brands stay at the forefront of what's possible."
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