Palantir Technologies Watch posted an update
Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Sankar says some AI researchers are taking up smoking to signal confidence that AI could cure cancer. Fortune reports that Sankar offered no evidence for the claim during an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.
Why it mattersSankar used the anecdote to argue that Silicon Valley is gripped by a “social delusion” about AI. It is his characterisation, not evidence of researchers’ behaviour or a finding about AI. The more consequential point is his criticism of AI safety advocates and their influence on regulation. A colourful smoking story may grab attention; the argument about who shapes AI policy deserves scrutiny on its merits.
Discuss: Should AI safety advocates have to prove their case through demonstrated risks, or is preparing for plausible future harms enough to justify regulation?
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