The Bad PlaceThe Guardian | ‘I don’t worry about a robot takeover’: AI expert Michael Wooldridge on big tech’s real dangers (and occasional blessings) by Steve Rose
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Michael Wooldridge, an Oxford professor and veteran AI researcher, uses game‑theoretic ideas to explain why competitive, zero‑sum thinking—especially in tech and politics—can be damaging, arguing that most real‑world interactions are not strictly win‑lose. He recounts his long‑standing fascination with computing, his public‑facing work (including a popular children’s AI book and a recent Royal Institution lecture), and his new title *Life Lessons from Game Theory*, which translates strategic concepts into everyday scenarios from fishing to geopolitics. Wooldridge warns that the current AI boom, driven largely by wealth‑rich Silicon‑Valley firms focused on massive language models, overlooks broader, socially beneficial applications and is constrained by data and compute limits. He critiques the pervasive “zero‑sum” mindset that fuels populist politics and unsustainable AI races, emphasizing the need for more thoughtful, collaborative approaches, better data governance, and a slower pace of development to avoid potential “Hindenburg‑type” disasters. Despite his scepticism about existential AI risks, he remains optimistic about AI’s capacity to improve lives when guided by clear purpose rather than profit alone.
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‘I don’t worry about a robot takeover’: AI expert Michael Wooldridge on big tech’s real dangers (and occasional blessings)
Almost 50 years after he first got his hands on a computer, the Oxford professor still believes in the power of technology. Can his beloved game theory explain why Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs consistently misuse it?