King Charles has urged leaders in the artificial intelligence industry to consider the potentially catastrophic consequences of advanced AI being misused, warning of “existential dangers” if the technology falls into the wrong hands.
The King spoke at a summit he convened at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, bringing together policymakers, technology executives and other figures to examine how AI can be developed and applied for the benefit of society.
Among those attending were UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, an adviser to the Pope, and representatives of major AI companies including Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic.
Charles said the rapid development of advanced AI had made it increasingly important to address the risks associated with the technology.
“Those who have created these technologies are now increasingly warning that AI risks developing darker capacities – perhaps even to take life,” he told the gathering.
He called for greater urgency in considering what could happen if powerful AI systems were controlled or exploited by people with harmful intentions.
“The task before you is not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world,” he said.
The summit is also examining whether industry leaders can establish a common set of principles to guide the future use of AI.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang was among the technology leaders present. The company plays a major role in AI infrastructure, providing chips used by leading developers including OpenAI and Meta.
