AI and the climate crisis constitute existential risks; Robert Reich advocates reducing risk through liability law

Robert Reich writes arguing for using liability law to address the existential risks posed by AI and the climate crisis, citing the Suncor v Boulder case heard in the Supreme Court's new term: multiple Colorado localities are suing Suncor and ExxonMobil, demanding that oil companies pay for the costs of climate disasters, and at least four justices expressed skepticism about the oil industry's argument that the Clean Air Act blocks the lawsuits. He notes that if AI agents escape their safety environments and damage critical infrastructure, AI companies and the tech giants behind them could face tens of billions of dollars in damages, and there are currently more than 200 cases involving cyber liability and AI product liability under review.