Researchers cig-nal their faith in AI by taking up smoking

In Silicon Valley, AI professionals have begun a new tradition to signal their unwavering commitment to the industry: smoking. Despite the well-documented risks of cancer, researchers believe that their faith in artificial intelligence will lead to a cure for all ailments, including the health hazards of their habit. Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar explained this phenomenon during an appearance on CBS's Face the Nation, likening the decision to smoke to a bet that AI will cure cancer and other health issues.

Sankar described this behavior as a "mass psychosis" and "social delusion" that distracts from serious discussions about AI's potential dangers. The philosophy of effective altruism, which prioritizes making the greatest impact for humanity, is believed to be fueling this millennial doomsday cult mentality among AI researchers. This philosophy, Sankar argued, leads to far-fetched risks being framed as theological issues rather than technical ones.

Critics argue that this mindset is more akin to the ascetic's endurance of physical pain in the hopes of divine healing. From a practical standpoint, smoking in the hopes of a future AI-cured cancer is an impractical and potentially harmful approach. Even with significant advancements in drug discovery through AI, the process of developing and introducing a new cancer drug to the market can take years, and there is no guarantee that the drug will be effective or resistant to development of tumor resistance.

The real casualty, it seems, may be the AI community members who unwittingly expose themselves to a higher risk of cancer by engaging in this misguided faith-based behavior.