kill switch boomers, doomers, and the new empire
13 snips
Jun 25, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, journalist Karen Hao, author of 'Empire of AI,' dives into the unsettling realities behind AI's promise. She discusses how today's AI companies mirror historical empires, exploiting labor and resources. Karen critiques the overly optimistic views on AI's role in healthcare and examines the nuanced 'Boomer' and 'Doomer' perspectives on technology's future. The discussion also highlights AI's environmental challenges and the importance of community-driven approaches in tackling ethical dilemmas and societal impacts.
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AI Companies as Modern Empires
- AI companies like OpenAI behave like colonial empires by claiming resources as their own and exploiting labor globally.
- They automate work to replace humans, causing labor exploitation both entering and exiting the process.
The AI Empire Narrative
- AI empires control knowledge, censoring criticism to maintain power.
- They justify exploitation by portraying themselves as the "good empire" saving humanity from worse alternatives.
OpenAI's Scaling Decision Consequences
- OpenAI chose aggressive scaling using vast data and compute to become number one in AI.
- This strategy triggered widespread labor exploitation and environmental harm due to massive data center demands.
