I dunno, the end goal (a pseudo AGI) is more like a nuclear weapon than the advent of electricity. The concern is real, even if we are farther away than the author realizes and the risk (like the risk if nuclear war) is not totally insurmountable even if it is extremely difficult.
The first nuclear bombs couldn't end life on Earth either, but it wasn't long before they could, and the scientists working on them saw the trajectory as clear as day when the rest of the world didn't.
The first nuclear bombs couldn't end life on Earth either, but it wasn't long before they could, and the scientists working on them saw the trajectory as clear as day when the rest of the world didn't.