Should we put the brakes on AI? ⏸️
I wrote this article for Forbes this week about the calls from frontier AI companies for a slowdown in AI development. You can read it here. I wanted to get your take. Do you think they should slow it down?
7 replies
Brakes are not there to stop a car moving. They are what allow you to drive it with some degree of control.And the rest of the world is not slowing down. AI capabilities continue to develop quickly, while investment in the infrastructure behind AI is accelerating. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index describes capability as continuing to accelerate, while the IEA estimates that capital spending by five...
That’s like asking, “Should we stop the sun from shining?” If the sun is too hot, you don’t destroy the sun. You use sunscreen, a hat, an umbrella, a fan, a shelter, etc. But you don’t kill the sun!
I think you are asking the right questions, and the article is much stronger when it moves away from “Will AI replace us?” toward “What capacities do humans need to keep developing when machines can perform more of the work?” Where I would push you is on the connection between that argument and the opening question about slowing frontier AI. They are related, but they are not quite the same...
Be careful creating your mails, It says "should we put the breaks on AI". Maybe you dictated to your AI and it wrote something with a different sense.Of course we should brake, as this fact confirms that we are not controlling the AI productions, even in something as simple as an email.
How can we put the breaks on AI when almost every job in the world requires employees to use it? How can we prepare our students for the job market if we put the breaks on it?
I feel this question is a little ambiguous.1. Should we slow down AI use in education?No, as in many ways we haven't really got fully started yet. Many schools are only just starting to consider or roll out policies and governance, with some educators looking at how it can be used effectively to deepen learning and understanding (without outsourcing the thinking), as well as rethinking...
In education I am not sure we are going fast enough to need brakes. We are barely in second gear but the speed is building up. We need to show students how to speed up, or slow down, at their own pace. No use relying on the air bags to save us. As for AI in the world outside of school, is the call for a slow down real or a face saving exercise to slow down as they are out of £ ? Too conspiracy...