Google's Billion-Dollar Gamble on AI Startup Amid Humanity Concerns

Google is making a bold move by investing heavily in an artificial intelligence startup, Anthropic, despite concerns expressed by the company's owners about the potential risks to humanity. Anthropic, which specializes in developing AI systems, is being backed with a reported $2 billion from Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Anthropic has emerged as a significant competitor to OpenAI, the creator of the popular ChatGPT, which made waves over the past year. This has left Google's Bard technology lagging behind in the race for AI dominance.

Dario Amodei, the CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, recently made a startling statement, suggesting that AI has a "10 to 25 percent" chance of posing a threat to humanity. An upfront investment of $500 million has already been poured into the startup, with the remaining funds set to be allocated over time. Just a month prior, Amazon invested a whopping $4 billion in Anthropic, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Google, along with Microsoft, a significant supporter of OpenAI, and Amazon, is fiercely competing to perfect and control the AI space, often likened to a second technological revolution. Anthropic appears to be a key player in this race.

However, Anthropic's story holds a twist. Dario Amodei was once the Vice President of Research at OpenAI before venturing to establish his own AI venture to challenge ChatGPT. In less than three years, his new company has soared in value, now exceeding $5 billion.

Speaking on the Logan Bartlett Show tech podcast, Amodei expressed his views, saying, "My belief is that there's a 10 to 25 percent chance that something could go terribly wrong on a scale that affects human civilization." He added, "This implies a 75 to 90 percent chance that this technology will be developed safely and without incident."

However, Anthropic is not without its controversies. On October 18, the startup was hit with a lawsuit from Universal Music Group and other major record labels. The lawsuit alleges that Anthropic used its AI tool to distribute copyrighted lyrics without the necessary licensing agreements.

Jason Peterson, CEO of GoDigital Media Group, a company specializing in intellectual property rights management, remarked, "The storage and use of copyrighted material in AI training is likely a clear-cut case of infringement, and the courts are likely to intervene."

Google's substantial investment in Anthropic reflects the tech giant's commitment to advancing AI technology, despite the looming concerns about the impact on humanity. As the race for AI supremacy intensifies, the fate of Anthropic and its potential role in shaping the AI landscape remains uncertain.