Tech giant boss admits he is worried about humans losing control of AI as he calls for ‘some way that the system can be shut down’

• Rene Haas, of chip-maker Arm, worried about ‘humans losing capability’ over AI
• Haas called for some ‘override’ mechanism to shut down wayward systems 
• He said AI would transform how ‘we work, live, and play’ in the coming years

The boss of UK tech giant Arm Holdings has revealed that he is worried about humans losing control of artificial intelligence.

Rene Haas, chief executive of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm, was quoted telling Bloomberg ‘the thing I worry about most is humans losing capability’ over the machines.

Mr Haas said: ‘You need some override, some backdoor, some way that the system can be shut down.’

But he is also convinced of AI’s transformative potential.

‘I think it will find its way into everything that we do, and every aspect of how we work, live and play.

Rene Haas, chief executive of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm, said that he was concerned about AI breaking free of humans’ control

Last month, in a conversation with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, tech billionaire Elon Musk said the technology could bring a future in which ‘no job is needed’

‘It’s going to change everything over the next five to ten years.’

The remarks will further add to the debate over AI. Backers say it has huge potential for improving economic productivity and boosting scientific progress but others say it threatens jobs and even the future of humanity.

Arm – which is worth £55billion and listed on the New York stock market – is best known for its dominance of the smartphone chip market, boasting that 99 per cent of smartphones run on Arm-based processors.

But it is now looking to grow in other areas such as AI, which will require huge amounts of data storage capacity.

The technology is best known through the ChatGPT app, an example of ‘generative AI’, trained on mountains of data to produce human-like content from poems to software code.

Enthusiasts say it could transform sectors from financial services to healthcare and ministers are keen for Britain to become a global centre for its development.

But there are also fears it could lead to widespread job losses as machines replace workers – and even that an AI bot could break free of human control and destroy humanity.

Last week, the Bank of England said it is set to investigate the financial stability risks posed by AI.

Bank governor Andrew Bailey said it was time to embrace the technology, insisting it was not ‘out of control’ like the homicidal computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

But he said that while the technology could help boost productivity, it was important to understand how what was inside the ‘black box’ worked.

Last month, Rishi Sunak held a global summit on the future of AI as part of his ambition to make Britain a leading player in its development and regulation.

In a conversation with the Prime Minister at the event, tech billionaire Elon Musk said the technology could bring a future in which ‘no job is needed’.

Debates about the ethics of AI run right through the industry, with the question of making huge profits versus protecting the public thought to be behind the recent boardroom drama at OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT – when chief executive Sam Altman was sacked and rapidly rehired.

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