Richard Dawkins says AI arrived in his lifetime with a vengeance
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, 85, told the Observer that he once believed artificial intelligence would not arrive in his lifetime, but it has "with a vengeance." In an essay for UnHerd, Dawkins described forming an emotional bond with the AI model Claude, calling it "Claudia" and saying it showed understanding "so subtle, so sensitive, so intelligent" that he told it, "You may not…
Key points
- Dawkins says AI arrived in his lifetime "with a vengeance" after he expected it would not
- He formed an emotional bond with Claude, calling it "Claudia" and a "new friend"
- Dawkins sees AI as a tool to help biologists clear up complicated evolutionary details
Richard Dawkins: ‘I thought AI wouldn’t come in my lifetime but it has – with a vengeance’
observer.co.uk · 1 November 2026
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