Former CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett warns of the risks of artificial intelligence and dares to make a drastic comparison.
• Buffett compares AI to nuclear weapons
• Warning of risks that cannot be estimated
• Consequences often only become apparent over time
As Yahoo Finance reports, citing a two-hour CNBC special broadcast on January 13, 2026, the former CEO of Berkshire Hathaway once again warned about the risks of artificial intelligence. According to the star investor, what is particularly worrying is that even experts do not know where AI will develop. Additionally, he emphasized that it is one thing to say that you don’t know where you are going when, like Columbus, you can turn back at any time, but the genie is already out of the bottle.
A look at history
Specifically, the star investor warned in the CNBC special that the future of AI is unclear to many experts and they cannot assess its consequences. To put things into perspective, he used a historical comparison and recalled Albert Einstein, who said about the atomic bomb during the Second World War that this invention changed everything in the world – except the way people think.
Buffett also emphasized that little has changed to this day: decades of discussions about how to deal with such technologies have brought little progress. Instead of a single country, eight – soon nine – states now have nuclear weapons. What is particularly worrying for him is that some actors spread fear using harmless means – especially with nuclear weapons.
View technological advances with caution
As early as 2024, Buffett tried to compare AI and nuclear weapons at a Berkshire Hathaway general meeting: He spoke about the challenges and risks of artificial intelligence, pointing out parallels to the development of nuclear weapons and emphasizing that the consequences of major technological breakthroughs often only become clear over time. He also warned about AI-powered fraud. He reported on a manipulated image that showed him and would use his voice, but the message in it did not come from him. Such AI-manipulated media could be used specifically for disinformation, propaganda or fraud, he warned.
AI at Berkshire Hathaway: Opportunities and Uncertainties
He himself explained in 2024 that he knew little about AI, but he saw opportunities for it to create more free time for labor-intensive tasks. If used correctly, AI can bring great benefits to society, but at the same time it is never certain whether it will actually always be used for the benefit of people.
Editorial team finanzen.net
By the way: Berkshire Hathaway and other US stocks can even be traded on finanzen.net ZERO until 11 p.m. (without order fees, plus spreads). Open a depot now for free and secure a new customer bonus!
Selected leveraged products on Berkshire Hathaway
With knock-outs, speculative investors can participate disproportionately in price movements. Simply select the lever you want and we will show you suitable open-end products on Berkshire Hathaway
The leverage must be between 2 and 20
Advertising
