AI Safety Is Not A Corporate Plot - By Scott Alexander

As AI companies warn louder than ever that their own products could be existentially dangerous, a popular cynical reading has taken hold: it’s all a plot, whether to pump valuations, distract from near-term harms, or capture regulators. Scott Alexander takes the theory on directly, looking at what independent researchers think, at what today’s AI leaders were saying years before they ran AI companies, and at whether the supposed scheme would even make sense on its own terms. * 00:00 - Introduction * 01:56 - I. The AI Experts Who Aren’t Affiliated With Big Companies Are Just As Concerned As The Ones Who Are * 04:33 - II. The AI Company Leaders Giving These Warnings Were Concerned Long Before They Ever Had AI Companies * 17:01 - III. If This Is A Plot, It’s A Really Dumb One https://open.substack.com/pub/astralcodexten/p/ai-safety-is-not-a-corporate-plot?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askwhocastsai.substack.com/subscribe