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

Silicon Valley's AI researchers are adopting a peculiar habit to demonstrate their unwavering faith in artificial intelligence: smoking cigarettes, despite the known risks of cancer. Palantir's Chief Technology Officer, Shyam Sankar, claims that this behavior is a sign of their belief that AI will eventually cure cancer. Sankar described this as a "bet" that AI will develop a cure for health issues, including cancer, and a "mass psychosis" and "social delusion" that undermines serious discussions about AI.

He blames effective altruism, a philosophy focusing on making the most effective decisions that benefit the most humans, for this irrational behavior. Effective altruists prioritize long-term approaches to issues and are concerned with ensuring AI systems are built in a way that will benefit humanity. Sankar believes that the majority of AI researchers in America subscribe to this worldview, making it a prominent reason for the prevalence of AI doomerism in Silicon Valley.

He likens this faith in machine god-like AI to the religious belief in a divine savior. However, experts warn that this form of "faith" may not be a wise decision, as developing a cancer cure through AI is a lengthy process, and the risks of cancer are still very real.