# Nick Clegg dismisses fears AI could exterminate humanity

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-24T09:19:28Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/nick-clegg-dismisses-fears-ai-could-exterminate-humanity

## Summary

Nick Clegg, former UK deputy prime minister and former Meta global affairs head, said the idea that AI could develop godlike power to exterminate humanity is overblown. He urged tech leaders to focus on concrete threats such as cybersecurity, bio‑weapons and emotional dependence.

Clegg, who owns more than 917,000 shares in Nscale and co‑founded AI startup AMI Labs, said industry insiders rarely agree on the risks. He criticised the notion that safety requires control by a small oligopoly, calling it a paralysis for political debate.

He also questioned the feasibility of a kill‑switch or closed models, and called for voluntary and regulatory transparency, noting that the UK is not a global AI leader and that collaboration among the US, Europe and India could be beneficial.

## Key points

- Nick Clegg dismisses fears AI could exterminate humanity
- Clegg owns >917,000 shares in Nscale and co‑founds AMI Labs
- He calls for focus on cybersecurity, bio‑weapons and emotional dependence

## Why it matters

Clegg’s comments shape public debate on AI safety, urging a shift from apocalyptic narratives to concrete risk management and policy action.

## Sources

1. [Nick Clegg plays down fears ‘godlike’ AI could exterminate humanity](https://theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/24/nick-clegg-plays-down-fears-godlike-ai-could-exterminate-humanity) (The Guardian AI, 2026-09-24)

Part of the developing story: [Palantir Nvidia Clash With OpenAI Anthropic](https://digestai.news/thread/nvidia-deploys-palantir-foundry-and-cuopt-to-automate-hardware-supply-chain) (5 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Nick Clegg dismisses fears AI could exterminate humanity", 24 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/nick-clegg-dismisses-fears-ai-could-exterminate-humanity

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