Potential 6 month warning until the end

[Frombeyond]

So, we potentially only have 6 months until the end of civilised society and mass deaths. I’m terrified and sad

AI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kx0gyje9wo

The guy is 27 and it seems his frontal lobes haven't quite fully developed yet. Being anxious about something is not the same as thing as 'it's going to happen'. I spent large parts of my teens worrying the world would end due to a nuclear bomb but it didn't mean it was going to happen. Most people in tech are on the autism spectrum and so despite being extremely clever also experience very high levels of anxiety and also can have trouble understanding that other people don't see things the way they do.

We pressurise our government to open discussions about it with other nations. Worth a try isn’t it?

Personally I'd want to be one of the first dead. I couldnt face living in a post apocalyptic world

Same here, @Gettingbysomehow, and luckily I'd almost certainly get my wish since I live near a site involved in nuclear arms

Nothing lasts forever and one day humanity as we know it will indeed be gone, but somehow the earth will carry on and I only hope whatever replaces us makes a better job of things

Me too, it's scary. I don't worry for myself or DH because we are elderly and don't have that many years left anyway, but we have children and grandchildren and I do get scared for them.

Amodei stands to make a lot of money by convincing everyone how incredibly powerful his AI is. His proposals for regulations of supply chain and new models would benefit his company and make it harder for new competitors to enter the market. And even he describes existential threats as "longer term" (3+ years away) and "at least potentially possible", a long cry from your belief we're all about to be wiped out.

I'm not sure why you seem to assume that anyone not leaping to panic based on a quote from one person doesn't care. I have plenty of concerns about AI, but hyperbole and panic aren't going to help anyone.

It's the headline on the BBC news.

How do people who worry about this stuff get through the day? Blows my mind that people actually believe this shit

That reminds me I must get some water purifiers.

It is statistically insignificant in world population terms. 42M out of a population of 8 Billion is roughly 0.5% over 30ish years - OP is saying EVERYONE is going to be dead about February time…best pull all the stops out for Christmas this year!

I read the essay. It doesn't mention Russia at all. Not once. TBH I find that more interesting than the essay.

Of course Russia is an AI threat.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-09-10/anthropic-disrupts-russian-chinese-ai-campaigns-targeting-its-claude-models

Anthropic broke up attempts to use its Claude models to develop biological weapons and carry out a suspected Russia-linked cyber espionage campaign against Ukraine, the AI heavyweight said in a report published on Thursday.

The guy is 27 and it seems his frontal lobes haven't quite fully developed yet. Most people in tech are on the autism spectrum and so despite being extremely clever also experience very high levels of anxiety and also can have trouble understanding that other people don't see things the way they do

Otherwise known as "ball scratchers", @WildFatball - the sort of people better suited to reading comics in attics than attempting to interact in any normal way

If the Tech Bros are concerned why don't they use their higher levels of intelligence and understanding to solve the problem? Why would governments who frankly need their help, refuse it, I suppose I'm asking what is the hold up on regulation and solutions?

I love a scaremongering thread on a Sunday morning.

This does remind me of the film ‘Don’t Look Up’.

It is an AI race with China, they (Western AI companies) want to slow China down so they can make more profit and have more power BUT it is absolutely worrying. The impact on the environment and human security is undeniable. We are destroying the human race. The earth will still be here and will recover but we’ve set the human race up to fail all because some megalomaniac narcissists want all the money and power.

I fear for the future. The only thing that makes me feel better is nature and friends and family. That’s what is important and what is the most spectacularly amazing reason it’s such a privilege to be a human being.

Well, go ahead if you think so!

Personally I don't think Vladimir Putin will give your concerns a millisecond of thought, other than how he might be able to capitalise on fear and alarm.

I work in AI governance in a very large UK organisation.

There is certainly the potential for things to go very wrong, ideally governments of the world would work together on safety with full transparency on what in development, a bit like with nuclear weapons. There's no way that'll happen soon enough.

Individual governments have AI acts (the UK doesn't!) but little to ensure developers are following them, and they're concerned with live applications not test and development which is where it'll all go wrong.

Its too fast and too hidden to do anything but hope in my opinion. I'm not concerned about AI overlords, but bad actors will use it to make money or mischief.

I wouldn't bother making it your main voting strategy, the UK has little influence. Climate change is a bigger threat to your way of life and something you can act on at a local level rather than net zero.

Blows my mind that so many people are so wilfully ignorant.

Dire scaremongering. Nothing is going to happen @Frombeyond

Wilfully ignorant because they don't panic and claim the world is ending based on a quote from one person?

It is scary OP, but at least this issue is out there and being discussed more now. That means there's more chance of legislation being introduced and some sort of international treaty - a bit like those that exist for nuclear weapons. Remember, they may see AI as the next stage from Homo sapiens but not even the tech bros want a world with AI going rogue.

Ignorant because they don't waste their lives worrying about stuff they can't control?

Come back and tell us how it went in 6 months.

Few things to remember OP:

The BBC wants clicks on articles. It'll get that by running headlines which fearmonger and frighten. The news will always opt for the most shocking article.

Secondly, there is a commercial benefit for businesses like Anthropic to overstate the power of the tools they are creating. IMO this is an extreme PR exersize.

I don't dispute AI has the potential to be mishandled, but important to keep the risk in perspective.

If you read the article, you'll find out that lots of top experts in the field are extremely worried.

Oh well, at least we won't have to endure another boiling summer like the one we had this year!