Google DeepMind is worried about what happens when millions of agents start to interact

The increasing deployment of agents capable of performing tasks autonomously and following instructions from other agents introduces novel risks. To address this, Google DeepMind, alongside Schmidt Sciences, the UK government's ARIA agency, the Cooperative AI foundation, and Google.org, has committed $10 million to support research into multi-agent systems.

This initiative aims to foster external academic research, as Shah noted that academia's strength lies in its ability to conduct long-term, forward-looking studies that might not be prioritized by industry labs. The primary goal is to establish a dedicated field of research for multi-agent safety, as currently, such a discipline is nascent.

The concern is that a critical mass of interacting AI agents could lead to unforeseen consequences, mirroring how human institutions achieve complex outcomes beyond individual capabilities. Shah estimates that widespread agent deployment, posing significant risks, is still several months away.