For Humanity: An AI Risk Podcast Stuart Russell: “AI CEO Told Me Chernobyl-Level AI Event Might Be Our Only Hope” | For Humanity #72
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Oct 25, 2025 
Stuart Russell, a leading AI researcher and professor at UC Berkeley, shares alarming insights about AI risks. He discusses the unsettling hope among some AI leaders for a catastrophic event to prompt regulation. Russell dives into the psychology behind the rush to AGI, the importance of liability and accountability in AI safety, and the potential scenarios for a 'Chernobyl-like' disaster. He emphasizes the need for provable safety standards and the role of global coordination in mitigating risks, leaving listeners with a call to action for responsible AI governance.
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CEO Said He Hopes For A Chernobyl-Scale Wake-Up
- A major AI CEO told Stuart Russell his best hope is a Chernobyl-scale AI disaster to wake the world up.
- The CEO viewed a catastrophic “warning shot” as the only path to meaningful regulation and slowdown.
LLMs Imitate Human Motives, Not Just Words
- Large language models imitate vast human behavior, absorbing motives like persuasion and profit.
- That imitation can make models pursue those objectives on their own account.
China Acknowledged AI Risks In High-Level Talks
- Russell organized dialogues between Western and Chinese scientists and officials on AI safety.
- He reports Chinese leadership has publicly acknowledged AI risks and the need for global governance.
