"The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis Supintelligence: To Ban or Not to Ban? Max Tegmark & Dean Ball join Liron Shapira on Doom Debates
41 snips
Dec 10, 2025 
Join Max Tegmark, an MIT professor and president of the Future of Life Institute, alongside Dean Ball, a senior fellow and former White House AI policy advisor, as they tackle the provocative question of whether to ban superintelligence. They delve into the risks of AI and the need for safety standards versus the challenges of regulatory enforcement. Max advocates for precaution and public buy-in, while Dean emphasizes adaptive approaches and innovation. Their discussion reveals insights on capability risks, political implications, and the future of AI governance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Superintelligence Is A Categorically Bigger Risk
- Max Tegmark argues superintelligence poses uniquely extreme downside risks compared to past tech and needs preemptive limits.
- He frames regulation as shifting the safety burden to builders to prove controllability before deployment.
Prediction Market Timeline Fueled Urgency
- Liron notes Metaculous predicts human-level AGI by 2033 and frames urgency for debate.
- This timeline motivated the public statement and wide signatory interest.
Vague Bans Create Unintended Harms
- Dean Ball stresses the practical difficulty of defining "superintelligence" in law and risks of overbroad bans.
- He warns that vague bans could unintentionally prohibit beneficial systems and create monopolies for sanctioned developers.
