AI researchers taking up smoking to signal faith in technology
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 17:45 · Archive
Palantir's CTO claims AI researchers are taking up smoking to demonstrate their belief that artificial intelligence will cure the health risks.
Palantir's Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar claimed in a recent CBS interview that AI researchers have begun taking up smoking to demonstrate their confidence in artificial intelligence. He stated that researchers use the behaviour to signal 'how much they believe in AI', with some saying 'I believe so much in AI that it's going to cure cancer. So I'm showing you my chips are all in.' Sankar characterised this as 'mass psychosis' and 'social delusion', suggesting that AI has become a replacement for religious faith among Silicon Valley workers, filling what he called a 'God-shaped hole' in their hearts.
The remarks come amid broader debate about AI's risks and benefits. Jacob Coxon, who recently resigned from AI company Anthropic, warned NBC News that 'there is a substantial probability that this technology could kill everyone', stating this was not hyperbole. His comments have prompted some AI figures to call for slower development of the technology, though the Trump administration has dismissed such concerns as a hoax.
The administration has instead been influenced by 'effective accelerationism', a philosophy holding that AI offers such substantial benefits to humanity that slowing its development would cause harm. Advocates of this view point to potential applications in healthcare, including AI's use in prescribing mental health drugs, providing medical advice and potentially curing cancer.
How it is being reported
- Researchers cig-nal their faith in AI by taking up smokingWhat are they puffing? Tobacco, apparently. Cancer researcher tells El Reg it's a bad betThe Register · 14 Oct, 17:18
- AI researchers are taking up smoking for bizarre reason, tech exec claimsPalantir's CTO revealed that AI workers are taking up smoking to prove how much they trust in the tech.New York Post · 13 Oct, 19:16
In this story: Palantir · Shyam Sankar · Jacob Coxon · Anthropic · Silicon Valley · CBS · NBC News
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