Good point. I'm not aware of any high-profile technologist or commentator that claims self-improving, superhuman artificial intelligence is a likely risk this d

Good point. I'm not aware of any high-profile technologist or commentator that claims self-improving, superhuman artificial intelligence is a likely risk this decade. This doesn't imply that self-improving or superhuman AI will never be a risk. I get the sense that some machine learning/AI researchers downplay this long-term concern, while at the same time misattributing discussons around AI safety as criticism of the current approach to AI. It must be possible to have two thoughts in our heads at once. Machine learning is making massive strides at the moment, and we must use this for all the benefit it's worth while keeping an eye on the current risks that AI represents -- for instance job loss and displacement, misuse by governments for e.g. surveillance purposes and so on. But it's probably also a good idea to keep one eye on the horizon as well, because things are likely to happen pretty quickly if the state of the art advances further. It's best to be prepared for this eventuality well in advance, because successful navigation of a potential risk scenario there requires the cooperation of a lot of people. And people are slow to change their expectations. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciate the current discussions around this subject. There are a lot of good points being made.