DeepSeek advances could heighten safety risk, says ‘godfather’ of AI

Yoshua Bengio says competition in field could mean danger, as international panel points to AI's malicious potential

• Key points of the International AI Safety report

The potential for artificial intelligence systems to be used for malicious acts is increasing, according to a landmark report by AI experts, with the study's lead author warning that DeepSeek and other disruptors could heighten the safety risk.

Yoshua Bengio, regarded as one of the godfathers of modern AI, said advances by the Chinese startup DeepSeek could be a worrying development in a field that has been dominated by the US in recent years.