US Leads 17-Nation AI Research Push as Son Warns of Risks

The United States government launched a 17-country initiative to utilize artificial intelligence for accelerating scientific research. Announced by White House science and tech policy adviser Michael Kratsios, the coalition includes Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, though China was notably absent from the initial list of endorsing nations.

During the Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, Masayoshi Son, chief of SoftBank Group, warned that superintelligence could become "super dangerous" if it falls into the wrong hands. Son argued that the exponential growth of AI capabilities requires international trust and cooperation, stating that countries no longer have the luxury of conflict.

Son projected that AI and learning machines will account for at least 20 percent of global GDP by 2040, reaching approximately US$46 trillion. The warnings come as SoftBank Group has directed nearly US$65 billion into OpenAI.