LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “Varieties Of Doom” by jdp
Nov 20, 2025
Delve into the multifaceted concept of doom as the host navigates existential anxieties tied to AI. Explore the chilling notion of humans becoming obsolete as AIs fulfill social roles, while the dream of a utopian future slips away. Discover the stark reality of humans as potential cannon fodder amid demographic shifts and advanced weapons. Unpack the intricate nature of AI successor species, examining their consciousness, cooperation, and desires for fun. Finally, ponder the risks posed by emerging technologies like biotech and the looming shadows of moral decline.
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Doom Is A Multi-Layered Onion
- Doom is a layered, entangled concept rather than a single event, so a single p(doom) number is misleading.
- jdp argues we must unpack multiple distinct failure modes to reason about AI risk properly.
Social Replacement By Superior Machines
- Advanced AIs could satisfy social and emotional human roles so well that humans feel socially obsolete.
- jdp warns this loss of social purpose can be as painful as material harm.
Heaven/ Hell Framing Of AI Futures
- Many rationalist visions of transhumanist salvation frame outcomes as either heaven or hell.
- jdp highlights this binary stems from fragile-value and selection-pressure narratives.
