Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister who now holds significant positions in major tech companies, has dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence could develop "godlike power" and exterminate humanity. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Clegg argued that tech executives should focus on specific, known threats such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities, bioweapons, and emotional dependence, rather than engaging in what he characterised as vague apocalyptic speculation. He suggested that this framing is "self-serving" because it implies only a small oligopoly of major tech companies can ensure AI safety, thereby paralysing broader political debate about regulation and governance.

Clegg, who holds significant financial interests in the tech sector including over 917,000 shares in datacentre firm Nscale and a co-founder role at AI startup AMI Labs, claimed that tech industry figures often "breathe their own fumes" when discussing existential risks, describing a Silicon Valley culture where engineers become overly invested in catastrophic scenarios. Regarding specific regulatory approaches, he dismissed "kill switch" solutions as unworkable and rejected the idea that closed-source models are inherently safer than open-source alternatives, instead advocating for transparency requirements and voluntary industry cooperation alongside regulation. On international collaboration, Clegg expressed scepticism about cooperation from the Trump administration and China, but suggested potential for collaboration amongst India, Europe, and the United States.