Roberto Cingolani, chief executive officer of Leonardo SpA, during an interview in London, UK, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
The chief executive of Italian defense group Leonardo said Friday that he's more concerned about the "stupidity" of users of artificial intelligence rather than the threats posed by the technology itself.
His comments come amid repeated warnings about the dangers of AI, with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres recently calling on international political and business leaders to prioritize a global strategy to deal with the technology.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Guterres said the rapid development of AI could result in "serious unintended consequences."
"To be honest, what concerns me more is the lack of control from humans, who are still making wars after 2,000 years," Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Friday.
"With this in mind, artificial intelligence is a tool. It is an algorithm made by humans, that is run by computers made by humans, that controls machines made by humans. I am more afraid, more worried [about] national stupidity than artificial intelligence to be honest," he added.
"I have a scientific background, so I definitely consider technology as neutral. The problem is the user, not the technology itself."