People who build AI

Toby Walsh

professor of AI and research group leader at UNSW Sydney

5 records

Portrait source: Avobronte, CC BY-SA 3.0

Records

These are technologies that will destabilise security globally. There is likely to be an arms race. Indeed, there are signs that advanced nations like the US, UK, China, Israel, Korea, and Russia are already starting such a race. Once these technologies are robust and sold by arms companies, they will inevitably appear on the black market. The technologies will be cheap so that even terrorist organisations and small states will be able to use them with great effect.

Toby Walsh

professor of AI and research group leader at UNSW Sydney

In 2016 written evidence to a UK parliamentary committee, Toby Walsh wrote that autonomous weapons would destabilize global security, were likely to trigger an arms race, and would reach terrorists and small states through the black market.

Professor of AI at the University of New South Wales and at Data61Published April 2016 · date of remarks not establishedHouse of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry, Robotics and artificial intelligence, written evidence ROB0012

Source

Context and checks

Surrounding words

Even if we can eventually work out how to do so, the systems that the military will field now and in the near future will not follow such rules. Security concerns: These are technologies that will destabilise security globally. There is likely to be an arms race. Indeed, there are signs that advanced nations like the US, UK, China, Israel, Korea, and Russia are already starting such a race. Once these technologies are robust and sold by arms companies, they will inevitably appear on the black market. The technologies will be cheap so that even terrorist organisations and small states will be able to use them with great effect. This will upset the world order greatly. Military might will no longer be determined by economic strength.

What this quote does not say

Stage 1A has not checked a preserved historical snapshot or parliamentary publication log for an exact posting day.
The claim concerns autonomous weapons, not general-purpose superintelligence.

How this was checked

Quote matched character-for-character against the captured page.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

In a similar way, we need new regulation around autonomous weapons systems, both to clarify how such weapons violate IHL, and also to address other concerns such as accountability, proliferation and global security.

Toby Walsh

professor of AI and research group leader at UNSW Sydney

In 2023 written evidence to a UK parliamentary committee, Toby Walsh called for new rules on autonomous weapons to clarify how they violate the laws of war and address accountability, proliferation, and global security.

Chief Scientist of UNSW's AI InstitutePublished April 2023 · date of remarks not establishedHouse of Lords AI in Weapon Systems Committee, written evidence AIW0026

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

However, the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention came into force to regulate them more strongly. The Convention was signed and ratified by the United Kingdom. 4.4. In a similar way, we need new regulation around autonomous weapons systems, both to clarify how such weapons violate IHL, and also to address other concerns such as accountability, proliferation and global security. Question 5: What are your views on the Government's AI Defence Strategy and the policy statement ‘Ambitious, safe, responsible: our approach to the delivery of AI-enabled capability in Defence’?

What this quote does not say

Stage 1A has not checked a preserved historical snapshot or parliamentary publication log for an exact posting day.
The passage endorses regulation but does not itself specify a complete treaty design or universal ban.

How this was checked

Quote matched character-for-character against the captured page.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

Putting agency aside, super intelligence doesn’t greatly concern me for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, intelligence brings wisdom and humility. The smartest person is the person who knows how little they know.

Toby Walsh

professor of AI and research group leader at UNSW Sydney

In a 2025 essay, Toby Walsh wrote that superintelligence itself did not greatly concern him if it lacked the ability to act in the world.

Professor of AI and Research Group Leader at UNSW SydneyPublished February 14, 2025 · date of remarks not establishedUNSW Newsroom republication of Toby Walsh's authored Conversation essay

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

The financial and geopolitical incentives to win the “AI race”, and to ignore such risks, are worrying. The benefits of super intelligence Putting agency aside, super intelligence doesn’t greatly concern me for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, intelligence brings wisdom and humility. The smartest person is the person who knows how little they know. Secondly we already have super intelligence on our planet. And this hasn’t caused the end of human affairs, quite the opposite. No one person knows how to build a nuclear power station. But collectively, people have this knowledge.

What this quote does not say

The primary Conversation page was blocked by robots.txt; the selected source is UNSW's full employer-hosted republication.
The wording does not deny all AI risk and should not be summarized as a general claim that AI is safe.

How this was checked

Quote matched character-for-character against the captured page.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

Statements they signed

FROM THE SIGNED STATEMENT

We recommend expanded research aimed at ensuring that increasingly capable AI systems are robust and beneficial: our AI systems must do what we want them to do.

Signed statement: “Research Priorities for Robust and Beneficial AI” (FLI)

Toby Walsh

professor of AI and research group leader at UNSW Sydney

Signed as part of a group statement. Not spoken.

Toby Walsh signed Research Priorities for Robust and Beneficial AI, which calls for more research to ensure increasingly capable AI systems are robust, beneficial, and do what people want them to do.

Univ. of New South Wales & NICTA, Professor of AI and President of the AI Access FoundationDate not establishedResearch Priorities for Robust and Beneficial AI

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

for Artificial Intelligence Leslie Pack Kaelbling, MIT, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, founder of the Journal of Machine Learning Research Tom Mitchell, CMU, former President of AAAI, chair of Machine Learning Department Toby Walsh, Univ. of New South Wales & NICTA, Professor of AI and President of the AI Access Foundation Murray Shanahan, Imperial College, Professor of Cognitive Robotics Michael Osborne, Oxford, Associate Professor of Machine Learning David Parkes,

How this was checked

The organiser's own roster lists this person as a signer.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source

FROM THE SIGNED STATEMENT

What do we do with software agents that replace people in their jobs or impersonate people in their interactions?

Signed statement: “Foresight in AI Regulation” (FLI)

Toby Walsh

professor of AI and research group leader at UNSW Sydney

Signed as part of a group statement. Not spoken.

Toby Walsh was listed as a signer of Foresight in AI Regulation, which asks the European Commission to take a future-oriented approach to regulating AI's effects on EU citizens' rights and safety.

UNSW Sydney, Scientia Professor of Artificial IntelligenceDate not establishedForesight in AI Regulation

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

Bart Selman, Cornell University, Professor of Computer Science Leslie Pack Kaelbling, MIT, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Director of Embodied Intelligence Community of Research, CSAIL Toby Walsh, UNSW Sydney, Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence Kristinn R.

How this was checked

The organiser's own roster lists this person as a signer.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source