[DennisP]

Exxon has never bragged to investors that they'd burn so much oil, civilization would collapse from climate change. They've always talked about how great fossil fuels are for the economy and our living standards. It makes no sense to sell apocalypse to investors either.

[otabdeveloper4]

They're selling FOMO to investors.

"Last chance to jump on the AI train, invest into your future robot overlord or be turned into biodiesel for datacenters in the future."

[DennisP]

There's no reason to think an out-of-control ASI would spare its investors.

[otabdeveloper4]

There's no reason to think it wouldn't. Shouldn't you hedge your bets?

Also, you can probably make a shitton of money as an out-of-control-AI-investor while the world is in the process of being destroyed.

[DennisP]

There are all sorts of things you could do that might make an AI like you, and none of them have more justification than any other. This is not an argument AI firms are making.

I agree that short-term greed is driving investment, but it would drive just as much investment if AI companies were not warning of apocalypse. Probably it would drive even more, because there'd be less risk of regulatory interference, and more future profit to discount into the present.

So why are they making those warnings? It doesn't benefit them. The simplest explanation is that this stuff actually is dangerous, and people who know that are worried.

[otabdeveloper4]

> So why are they making those warnings? It doesn't benefit them.

Because "we built a chatbot that can generate technical debt" is not a good proposition for investors. "Invest into our AI before it takes over the world and fires all knowledge workers" is.

> The simplest explanation is that this stuff actually is dangerous, and people who know that are worried.

LMAO. Please.