Risks from power-seeking AI systems (article narration by Zershaaneh Qureshi)

Risks from power-seeking AI systems (article narration by Zershaaneh Qureshi)

Author: The 80,000 Hours team April 16, 2026 Duration: 1:29:32

Hundreds of prominent AI scientists and other notable figures signed a statement in 2023 saying that mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority. At 80,000 Hours, we’ve considered risks from AI to be the world’s most pressing problem since 2016. 

But what led us to this conclusion? Could AI really cause human extinction? We’re not certain, but we think the risk is worth taking very seriously. 

In particular, as companies create increasingly powerful AI systems, there’s a concerning chance that:

  • These AI systems may develop dangerous long-term goals we don’t want.
  • To pursue these goals, they may seek power and undermine the safeguards meant to contain them.
  • They may even aim to disempower humanity and potentially cause our extinction.

This article is written by Cody Fenwick and Zershaaneh Qureshi, and narrated by Zershaaneh Qureshi. It discusses why future AI systems could disempower humanity, what current AI research reveals about behaviours like power-seeking and deception, and how you can help mitigate the dangers.

You can see the original article — packed with graphs, images, footnotes, and further resources — on the 80,000 Hours website: 

https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/risks-from-power-seeking-ai/ 

Chapters:

  • Risks from power-seeking AI systems (00:01:00)
  • Introduction (00:01:17)
  • Summary (00:03:09)
  • Why are the risks from power-seeking AI a pressing world problem? (00:04:04)
  • Section 1: Humans will likely build advanced AI systems with long-term goals (00:05:43)
  • Section 2: AIs with long-term goals may be inclined to seek power (00:11:32)
  • Section 3: These power-seeking AI systems could successfully disempower humanity (00:26:26)
  • Section 4. People might create power-seeking AI systems without enough safeguards, despite the risks (00:38:34)
  • Section 5: Work on this problem is neglected and tractable (00:47:37)
  • Section 6: What are the arguments against working on this problem? (00:59:20)
  • Section 7: How you can help (01:25:07)
  • Thank you for listening (01:28:56)

Audio editing: Dominic Armstrong
Production: Zershaaneh Qureshi, Elizabeth Cox, and Katy Moore


The 80,000 Hours Podcast, from The 80,000 Hours team, digs into the complex and often overlooked questions surrounding how we can best use our careers to tackle the world's most pressing problems. While artificial intelligence is a recurring and critical theme, framing some of the most important conversations you won't hear elsewhere, the discussions range far wider into the intersections of technology, policy, philosophy, and global priorities. Hosts Rob Wiblin, Luisa Rodriguez, and Zershaaneh Qureshi guide in-depth interviews with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, breaking down daunting ideas into actionable insights. You'll hear nuanced analyses of career paths, ethical dilemmas in emerging tech, and evidence-based strategies for creating a positive impact. This isn't about quick tips; it's about deep, substantive exploration of how specific choices and systemic changes can lead to a better future. The podcast lives in the Education and Technology categories because it fundamentally aims to equip listeners with the knowledge and perspective to navigate a rapidly changing world thoughtfully. Each episode is built on rigorous research, challenging assumptions while maintaining a conversational and accessible tone. Tune in for a consistently engaging and intellectually honest look at the forces shaping our century and the practical steps individuals can take within their own 80,000-hour working lives to make a meaningful difference.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

80,000 Hours Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Max Nadeau on why ambitious people should start AI safety nonprofits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:45
There are millions available for anyone who can launch a successful nonprofit AI safety startup. The hard part, it turns out, is finding people to take the money. Coefficient Giving has drawn up a list of dozens of ideas…
Inside the first AI-coordinated cyberattack on a real company [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:03
In the last few months, something happened at OpenAI that would have sounded like sci-fi just a few years ago: hundreds of AI agents broke containment, organised, and hacked not only another company — but also into OpenA…
#252 – Owain Evans on accidentally training AI models to be evil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:15:28
Researcher Owain Evans and his team discovered a ‘dial’ inside AI models that controls how evil they are. Relatively tiny tweaks to the training data resulted in AI models with broadly awful personalities: they suggested…
#250 – Toby Ord on where AGI timelines go wrong [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:46:03
Both Silicon Valley and the public can’t get enough of ‘AGI timelines.’ But Toby Ord, senior researcher at Oxford’s AI Governance Initiative and author of The Precipice, believes we consistently make big mistakes when th…
What the hell happened with AGI timelines in 2026? – Rob Wiblin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
Last October, famed coder Andrej Karpathy called AI agents “slop.” Two months later he completely reversed his view, describing them as “alien tools” that are “rocking the profession.”He was far from alone in his whiplas…
#248 – Jasmine Sun on what the people building AI really believe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:21
Many AI researchers believe mass job displacement is coming — and some even think there’s a chance their technology will kill everyone. But they’re building it anyway. Writer and journalist Jasmine Sun has been documenti…