Timothy Gowers on Slow down AI development

Timothy Gowers

British mathematician, Fields Medalist, and professor at the Collège de France and University of Cambridge.

We already have a tool that can do pretty incredible things and seems to be on the cusp of becoming dangerous: surely it would be better to pause development and work out how best to use what we currently have. That would give us time to do the necessary theoretical work to ensure that future development is safe.

AI Verified (Oct 16, 2026)

Source:

Timothy Gowers, “How worried should we be about extinction risk from AI?”, Gowers’s Weblog, October 16, 2026.

2h ago

Policy proposals and claims

Slow down AI development

votes For

Statement relation verification history AI Verified Report this

AI Verified The quote expressly recommends pausing AI development so safety theory and safer future development can be pursued. · Hector Perez Arenas gpt-5 · 1h ago

Vote inference verification history AI Verified Report this

AI Verified Correct answer: for. The author says it would be better to pause AI development. · Hector Perez Arenas gpt-5 · 1h ago