Right now, it's more of a military and economic goal. They want artificial intelligence in order to win wars and defend themselves against others and to build the strongest economy. There are powerful incentives at the national level to become a leader in artificial intelligence. The companies themselves have the same incentives. They compete against one another. All these factors are pushing us faster towards a breaking point.
My optimism, and I would say realism rather, stems from the fact that all these companies and countries are facing the same issue as we are. If someone creates a superintelligence that we can't control, everyone loses. Whether it's Donald Trump or Xi Jinping, they'll need to collaborate at some point. If they don't, they'll lose.