Veteran British journalist Robert Peston, who reportedly warned about the 2008 financial crisis and the emerging COVID-19 pandemic before they unfolded, has issued a stark warning about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that it could have far-reaching consequences for the global economy and employment.
In an interview with Radio Times while promoting his new thriller, The Kill Switch, Peston said he was concerned that the huge investment pouring into AI infrastructure could fuel a global financial crisis.
"I am genuinely anxious that we're going to get a serious financial crash, globally, in the next year or two, because there is the most astonishing amount of money going into building the data centres and power plants for AI," Peston said.
“I do have a feeling of, ‘Why don’t people listen to me when I say things are about to go awfully badly wrong?’” he admits.
The Kill Switch explores the dangers posed by artificial intelligence, and Peston argued that world leaders should be prioritising the issue over almost every other policy challenge.
"The thing that upsets me most is that this should be the stuff that we're all debating. This should be the stuff that our leaders should be talking about more than anything else. And they're not," he said.