// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Human extinction fears make me want to flee AI and live on an island
James Downs is a mental health campaigner who shares his own experience of anorexia, depressions and anxiety to educate others
Since headlines broke about claims AI advancement could lead to human extinction, James Downs has felt his anxiety rising.
"It makes me almost feel powerless. Like, what can I do as an individual?" said the mental health campaigner from Cardiff.
This sense of fear has led him to check his phone for more news.
"And the more you look at it the more your attention's drawn to the negative or scary things and the worse and worse it can seem," said the 37-year-old.
Earlier this month, a top safety researcher at Anthropic warned AI was advancing so quickly he believed there was a greater than 10% chance it "could kill all humans" within the next decade.
Then computer scientist and Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, known as the "Godfather of AI", told the BBC that the claim was "not unreasonable", external.
On Tuesday, amid rising public concerns about the risks, the boss of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said people should have more faith in AI firms to keep the tech safe.
James says connecting with friends and doing something positive for the environment helps him feel good during anxious times
James, who is in recovery after being diagnosed with anorexia, anxiety and depression as a teenager, said the recent headlines about AI have added another layer of worry to ongoing concerns such as the climate crisis, the cost of living crisis, conflict around the world and nuclear threat.