I don't think that, as people have been saying, the worry that "AI" can lead to human extinction or the casual production of bio-weapons, etc. creates "a distraction" from its known harms as AI critics have been saying. Whether or not that's the intention, this just adds new uncertainties to the list of current concerns, such as its dangerous use of resources like water and electricity, its boosting of carbon use and reneging of past promises by corporations and countries; its exploitation of labour and role in deepening social equality, the invasion of privacy, existing use in weaponry and facilitation of genocide, its negative effect on education, its wilful manipulation of public opinion by billionaires, its encouragement of intellectual over-reliance and dependence on unchecked results, its invasion of the creative sphere and regurgitation of content, its threats to the job market and devastation of certain sectors, the triggering of volatity in financial systems, its role in rogue attacks on infrastructure, its ethical amorality, ability to undermine the veracity of photographic evidence, and the list goes on.