"AI Safety Clock" launches

The Facts

• Last month, the IMD Business School launched its AI Safety Clock, with the goal of "mak[ing] clear that the dangers of uncontrolled AGI (artificial general intelligence) are real and present" according to TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation Director Michael Wade.

• The clock, currently with a reading of 29 minutes to midnight, claims to monitor three key factors: AI sophistication, AI autonomy, and AI physical integration. These factors are stated to be monitored via information from over 1K websites and nearly 3.5K news feeds.

• IMD states that the clock is "inspired" by the "Doomsday Clock" – a tool first established by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947 to "convey threats to humanity and the planet." In comparison, as of Jan. 2024 the Doomsday Clock is set to 90 seconds to midnight – the same as 2023 and down from two minutes to midnight in 2019.