AI doomsaying: Why much of what’s being said about AI power is best taken with a pinch of salt

As Beatrice Finn, winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, said: “It is not the first time we’ve been confronted with abilities that could end up killing us all.” Past human innovations—fire, electricity, atomic energy—can all threaten human life even today. Yet, no one writes articles about the lethal potential of these. So, why is there so much discussion about the possible dangers of AI’s development trajectory?