, Columnist
Do Oppenheimer’s Warnings About Nuclear Weapons Apply to AI?
The father of the atomic bomb saw the power of transformative technology but erred in saying it shouldn’t be built.
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in “Oppenheimer.”
Photographer: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal PicturesThis article is for subscribers only.
J. Robert Oppenheimer was once a household name in America, thanks to his work on the atomic weapons that helped save humanity in World War II and have terrified it ever since. His reputation as a brilliant scientist who was tormented by the dilemmas of the nuclear age is now enjoying a Hollywood-inspired renaissance — and his story has lessons for how democratic societies should deal with another transformative technology: artificial intelligence.
Unfortunately, we’re at risk of getting those lessons wrong.