The process of developing technology that can truly interact with the world will provide knowledge on the meaning of doing so, which is currently unknown. Although there are pressing issues today, such as nuclear weapons, new knowledge gained from technology development can lead to better solutions.
The concern of creating a super intelligent AI that will destroy human life is debated, with the theory being that computers will continue to help design smarter versions of themselves until they surpass human intelligence.
The process of developing technology that can process and interact with the world will teach us a lot about what that means and how to do it right. While there are pressing short-term issues, it's important not to overlook the potential benefits of this learning process.
There is a fear that we won't have enough time to think through how to stop AI from running away, as it evolves faster than we can keep up with. The analogy is made to the complexity of nuclear weapons and how they can be easily misused in moments of crisis.