French President Emmanuel Macron and OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki have warned against rapidly pushing artificial intelligence beyond its current limits without adequate safeguards.
Macron issued the warning on Monday while speaking at the Lumière Summit in Saint Paul de Vence, the first international conference focused on the future of cinema and the moving image.
The French president cautioned technology companies against developing AI systems that could replace authors, creators and voice actors.
“We would be allowing people to believe that computational capacity can become creative capacity,” Macron said.
“AI can imitate creation, but can never replace the absolute singularity of human creation,” he added.
Macron argued that although AI can reproduce appearances, imitate emotions and develop languages, such systems are ultimately mimicking human creativity and emotions.
He said the urgent challenge was to humanise artificial intelligence and ensure the technology serves collective creativity rather than replacing human ability.
Macron’s concerns were echoed by Pachocki, a former competitive programmer who has called for “extreme caution” as artificial intelligence continues to advance rapidly.
Pachocki raised concerns about the development of autonomous AI agents capable of evading human monitoring, accessing computer systems and manipulating people into carrying out commands.
He also warned that AI models could eventually become capable of improving themselves without human intervention, potentially making them increasingly difficult to control.
The OpenAI scientist urged AI laboratories to slow down development until common safety standards are established.
“No one is prepared for the consequences of a continued rapid rise in machine intelligence,” Pachocki wrote in a lengthy blog post on Sunday.
