Illinois governor JB Pritzker says AI could help live to 100 or pose nuclear‑like threats
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told The Verge AI that artificial intelligence may enable people to live to 100 years old, but he also warned it could become an existential danger comparable to nuclear weapons. He said the technology could dramatically reshape employment, suggesting unemployment could rise from the current 4 % to between 7 % and 10 % if safeguards are not put in place.
Key points
- Pritzker warns AI might extend human lifespan to 100 years while also presenting existential risks comparable to nuclear weapons.
- He predicts AI could raise U.S. unemployment from the current 4 % to 7‑10 % without protective policies.
- Illinois has launched an AI Cabinet and the BEACON portal to use AI for navigating government services and privacy safeguards.
Pritzker described a generational political realignment around data‑center incentives, privacy and antitrust, noting that states are competing for AI‑related investments. Illinois has created an AI Cabinet that brings together experts from the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois and state agencies, and launched a portal called BEACON to let AI help residents navigate government services. He stressed that privacy concerns are bipartisan and that the state must act before AI’s risks outpace its benefits.
JB Pritzker thinks AI could help us live to 100 — or threaten us like nukes
The Verge AI · 19 October 2026
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