Doom Debates DOOMER vs. BUILDER — AI Doom Debate with Devin Elliot, Software Engineer & Retired Pro Snowboarder
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Dec 17, 2025 Join Devin Elliot, a self-taught software engineer and former pro snowboarder, as he discusses the future of AI with a refreshing dose of optimism. He believes fears of an AI takeover are as absurd as a car sprouting wings. Devin argues against centralization in favor of decentralized governance, likening AI risks to nuclear policy debates. He critiques current LLM capabilities, asserting that they rely on external tools rather than demonstrating innate intelligence. The duo also dives into their vastly different timelines for superintelligence, pitting years against millennia.
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AI As Tool, Not Takeoff
- Devin Elliot views current AI as powerful tooling rather than an imminent runaway intelligence.
- He argues building truly autonomous, dangerous AGI involves immense, often underappreciated engineering barriers.
Don't Let Regulation Stall Progress
- Avoid policy choices that cause stagnation by over-regulating breakthrough tech.
- Focus governance on enabling safe progress and solving practical problems rather than fear-driven derailment.
Decentralization Over Centralized Control
- Devin prefers decentralized power distributions to centralized regimes for safety.
- He believes entering centralized regimes creates constrained optionality and political pathologies.