NYT Columnist Warns AI Could Destabilize Critical Infrastructure as US-China Trust Gap Blocks Cooperation
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 22
NYT Columnist Warns AI Could Destabilize Critical Infrastructure as US-China Trust Gap Blocks Cooperation
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 22
Summary
A New York Times opinion column argues it is time to "cry wolf" on AI, warning that the technology could become deeply destabilizing before governments grasp the scale of the threat.
The piece frames AI as another potential "failure of imagination" crisis like 9/11 or Covid-19, saying rogue actors could exploit systems that even major US and Chinese developers do not fully understand.
It says the Trump administration is poorly suited to the sustained governance AI safety requires, while distrust between Washington and Beijing makes the deep collaboration needed to defuse worst-case risks unlikely.
The column urges the US and China to start with a concrete step: jointly defending critical infrastructure including water systems, power grids and the internet before an AI-driven crisis forces action.