Episode #25 - “Does The AI Safety Movement Have It All Wrong?” Dr. Émile Torres Interview, For Humanity: An AI Safety Podcast

FULL INTERVIEW STARTS AT (00:08:20)

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In episode #25, host John Sherman and Dr. Emile Torres explore the concept of humanity's future and the rise of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and machine superintelligence. Dr. Torres lays out his view that the AI safety movement has it all wrong on existential threat. Concerns are voiced about the potential risks of advanced AI, questioning the effectiveness of AI safety research and the true intentions of companies like OpenAI. Dr. Torres supports a full "stop AI" movement, doubting the benefits of pursuing such powerful AI technologies and highlighting the potential for catastrophic outcomes if AI systems become misaligned with human values or not. The discussion also touches on the urgency of solving AI control problems to avoid human extinction.

Émile P. Torres is a philosopher whose research focuses on existential threats to civilization and humanity. They have published widely in the popular press and scholarly journals, with articles appearing in the Washington Post, Aeon, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Metaphilosophy, Inquiry, Erkenntnis, and Futures.

This podcast is not journalism. But it’s not opinion either. This show simply strings together the existing facts and underscores the unthinkable probable outcome, the end of all life on earth.

For Humanity: An AI Safety Podcast, is the accessible AI Safety Podcast for all humans, no tech background required. Our show focuses solely on the threat of human extinction from AI.

Peabody Award-winning former journalist John Sherman explores the shocking worst-case scenario of artificial intelligence: human extinction. The makers of AI openly admit it their work could kill all humans, in as soon as 2 years. This podcast is solely about the threat of human extinction from AGI. We’ll meet the heroes and villains, explore the issues and ideas, and what you can do to help save humanity.

TIMESTAMPS:

**The definition of human extinction and AI Safety Podcast Introduction (00:00:00)**

**Paul Christiano's perspective on AI risks and debate on AI safety (00:03:51)**

**Interview with Dr. Emil Torres on transhumanism, AI safety, and historical perspectives (00:08:17)**

**Challenges to AI safety concerns and the speculative nature of AI arguments (00:29:13)**

**AI's potential catastrophic risks and comparison with climate change (00:47:49)**

**Defining intelligence, AGI, and unintended consequences of AI (00:56:13)**

**Catastrophic Risks of Advanced AI and perspectives on AI Safety (01:06:34)**

**Inconsistencies in AI Predictions and the Threats of Advanced AI (01:15:19)**

**Curiosity in AGI and the ethical implications of building superintelligent systems (01:22:49)**

**Challenges of discussing AI safety and effective tools to convince the public (01:27:26)**

**Tangible harms of AI and hopeful perspectives on the future (01:37:00)**

**Parental instincts and the need for self-sacrifice in AI risk action (01:43:53)**

RESOURCES:

THE TWO MAIN PAPERS ÉMILE LOOKS TO MAKING HIS CASE:

Against the singularity hypothesis By David Thorstad:

https://philpapers.org/archive/THOATS-5.pdf

Challenges to the Omohundro—Bostrom framework for AI motivations By Oleg Häggstrom: https://www.math.chalmers.se/~olleh/ChallengesOBframeworkDeanonymized.pdf

Paul Christiano on Bankless

How We Prevent the AI’s from Killing us with Paul Christiano

Emile Torres TruthDig Articles:

https://www.truthdig.com/author/emile-p-torres/

https://www.amazon.com/Human-Extinction-Annihilation-Routledge-Technology/dp/1032159065

Best Account on Twitter: AI Notkilleveryoneism Memes

https://twitter.com/AISafetyMemes

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