Warren Buffett sees AI as a “nuclear threat”

At Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett, the world-renowned investor and billionaire, raised concerns about artificial intelligence (AI). He described AI as a “nuclear threat” to our world and expressed concerns about the growing activities of fraudsters.

Buffett compares AI to an atomic bomb in the hands of fraudsters

Warren Buffett, still one of the richest people in the world at 93, praised Berkshire Hathaway's resilience and growth at the meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. This is despite the loss of Vice President Charlie Munger in November 2023, but the focus turned to artificial intelligence when Buffett admitted to knowing little about the subject but acknowledged its importance. He made a sharp comparison by relating AI to the introduction of the atomic bomb and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, especially in relation to illegal financial activities.

Buffett shared an experience with a deepfake video that mimicked himself. He emphasized that while fraud has always been part of American culture, AI can take these practices to the next level. He called AI the “all-time absolute growth market” for scammers, but also recognized its potential for positive use.

Is Berkshire Hathaway investing in its own demise?

This isn't the first time Buffett has raised concerns about AI. Ironically, one of Berkshire Hathaway's biggest investments is in Apple, a company that was recently overtaken by Microsoft as the world's most valuable company, partly because of their investments in OpenAI. Apple now appears to be somewhat behind in AI technology, but is increasingly focusing on developing products that use generative AI technologies.

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