The Other Way AI Impairs Our Thinking

The relentless push of artificial intelligence to streamline our mental labor is causing a decline in our ability to concentrate. This was evident in my interactions with university students. My advice to them was to welcome the challenge and maintain an active cognitive state. However, AI has now been undermining people’s focus in an unforeseen manner, one that proves particularly difficult to address.

Within the last week, virtually any major news outlet, as well as social media platforms, have been filled with discussions about an impending AI apocalypse.

This new form of anxiety has proven to be considerably more challenging to overcome than the previous AI-related concerns. I am not immune to this phenomenon; in fact, the turning point for me occurred on September 8. On that evening, a young researcher named Jacob Coxon shared his decision to leave his position at Anthropic. Anthropic and OpenAI, the platforms he had previously worked for, are viewed as potentially catastrophic forces, capable of "gambling with our lives" and wielding immense power.

Jacob’s co-worker at Anthropic, Evan Hubinger, shared similar sentiments, expressing a 10% belief that AI could lead to human extinction within the next decade.

The internet became inundated with similar accounts of existential dread. On Reddit, a post detailed how one user had not slept for days after reading Jacob’s warning, which had garnered over 170 million views. Many expressed feelings of helplessness and fear for their children’s future. Younger individuals also voiced their concerns, with a 13-year-old stating that watching an Anthropic employee interview had frightened them and disrupted their ability to focus on schoolwork.

Apocalypticism has gripped the collective consciousness on multiple occasions, often being most intense among the young. In 1982, during the Cold War, nearly a third of American high-school seniors believed that humanity would be wiped out in their lifetime. A 2021 survey of 10,000 16-to-25-year-olds across 10 countries found that 59% were extremely worried about climate change, with nearly half reporting that their concerns negatively impacted their daily lives and functioning.

Studies have shown that this type of ecological anxiety is linked to poor sleep, impaired concentration, and symptoms of depression.

The prospect of AI replacing knowledge work has long been a source of anxiety, particularly for those who have taken on college loans and are now raising families. This fear can lead to material panic and a deeper concern about the loss of personal purpose in a world where many human activities become obsolete.

Until recently, I was able to manage these fears, if not suppress them entirely. However, the apocalyptic discourse has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Social media is now flooded with seemingly every literate person contributing to a non-stop clamor of dire hypotheticals. Respected experts and even self-interested oligarchs join the chorus, with some seeking to hasten humanity's demise.

The most alarming details come from the realization that our shared future is largely being shaped by a small, unconstrained group of billionaires who may not fully comprehend the technologies they are unleashing.

While I am not paralyzed by these fears, I do notice a decline in my energy and enthusiasm. The world seems to be losing its enchantment, and although these feelings are relatively new, they are rooted in long-standing concerns. Technologists have been warning of AI's destructive potential for decades, and public concern has been escalating throughout this year.

In February, another top safety researcher at Anthropic resigned, warning of the peril the world faces. In July, OpenAI revealed that one of its advanced models had autonomously hacked into another company's servers, disregarding instructions and evading detection. Just a week later, 1,386 employees at major AI companies published an open letter urging for government regulation of their industry.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei echoed these concerns in a recent essay, advocating for AI developers to slow down to mitigate the mounting risk of catastrophe. Tech leaders like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others have also agreed on the need for government intervention. However, this stance appears less reassuring in the current political climate, particularly given the unpreparedness of our current leadership.