'Is AI Gonna Kill Us?’ Mark Zuckerberg Has an Answer — And He’s ‘Quite Optimistic’ About the Future

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg said AI companies do not need industry-wide coordination to develop advanced systems safely, arguing that individual labs can address risks internally while prioritizing trust, privacy and alignment. AI Won’t ‘Kill Us’ If Companies Act Responsibly Speaking in an interview with journalist Joanna Stern posted on YouTube Thursday, Zuckerberg was asked, "Is AI gonna kill us?" In response, Zuckerberg said he was "quite optimistic" about AI’s future, arguing that the technology can benefit people if companies develop and deploy it responsibly. He pushed back against the "rhetoric" centered on AI doom and said each AI lab should take responsibility for addressing problems it encounters rather than relying on industry-wide coordination. Read Also: Meta Stock Expected to be 'Flat to Down' on 'Connect' Keynote, Says Gene Munster: Muse is 'Bad News' for Google, Says Analyst Meta Delayed Muse Over Privacy, Security Concerns Zuckerberg pointed to Meta’s Muse AI system as an example of that approach. He said Meta had a version that was "quite good" several months ago but chose to delay its launch while working through privacy and security concerns. He argued that AI products ultimately will not gain widespread adoption if users do not trust them. "People aren’t going to adopt it if they don’t trust it," Zuckerberg said. Trust and Alignment Are the Next Big Challenge Rather than focusing solely on making AI models smarter, Zuckerberg said the industry’s next major challenge will be ensuring systems reliably understand and follow what users actually want. He highlighted instruction following, intent understanding and "values alignment" as areas Meta is focusing on internally. Zuckerberg suggested that AI may reach a point where incremental improvements in areas such as mathematics matter less than whether systems can accurately interpret users’ intentions and act accordingly. Ultimately, he said companies have a strong business reason to get AI safety right. "I happen to think that there’s like plenty of commercial incentive to get this right." AI Safety Debate Intensifies as Tech Giants Take Different Paths The debate comes as major AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have raised concerns about the technology’s potential risks and urged governments to coordinate on how to manage them. At the same time, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang has rejected calls to slow AI development, telling CBS that companies should move as quickly as possible while making sure their products are safe before reaching users. President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and technology leaders are reportedly scheduled to meet Sept. 29 to discuss the same issue. Trump has dismissed concerns over AI safety, arguing that existing government authority is sufficient and warning that stricter regulations could leave the U.S. trailing China. Price Action: Meta Platforms closed at $777.59 on Thursday, up 4.50%. Shares traded at $775.89 after hours, down 0.22%, according to Benzinga Pro. According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Meta ranks in the 82nd percentile for Momentum, with its stock maintaining positive short-, medium- and long-term price trends. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. See More: Top Momentum Stocks Photo Courtesy: Harmony Video Production on Shutterstock.com