Tech Professor Issues Stark Warning: AI May Slash Global Population to 100 Million
A computer science professor from Oklahoma State University is warning that artificial intelligence could trigger a massive population collapse, leaving Earth with just 100 million people by the year 2300. And it wouldn’t happen through nuclear war or robot uprisings, he says. Just pure, relentless obsolescence.
“It’s going to be devastating for society,” said Subhash Kak, author of The Age of Artificial Intelligence, in an interview with The Sun. “I think people really don’t have a clue.”
Kak believes that while robots will never become conscious, they will replace most human jobs, including those in law, education, and even relationships. That widespread redundancy, combined with the high cost of raising children, could convince future generations to stop having kids altogether.
Related: Experts Warn of AI’s Self-Preservation Tactics in New Tests
“There are demographers who are suggesting that as a consequence, the world population will collapse,” he explained. “It could go down to as low as just 100 million people on the entire planet Earth in 2300 or 2380.”
That’s roughly the population of the United Kingdom today, meaning massive cities like New York or Tokyo could become ghost towns. Currently, roughly eight billion humans live on the planet, so that's a dramatic change in the next few centuries.
Kak pointed to current birthrate trends in developed nations as a warning sign. “People have stopped having babies,” he said. “Europe, China, Japan—and the most rapid fall in population right now is taking place in Korea.”
Echoing Elon Musk’s concerns about population collapse, Kak even floated the idea of building colonies in space to ensure humanity’s survival. “Should such a tragedy hit Earth, then it could be reseeded,” he said.
Whether we’re headed for extinction or just dramatic downsizing, Kak insists the shift is already happening. “What is absolutely certain,” he said, “is that there is a population collapse occurring right before our eyes.”
Related: Nvidia CEO Issues Serious Warning About AI and Jobs—Here’s How to Keep Yours