💡Ellsberg's Nuclear War Planner Insights Resonate with AI Researchers
AI researchers are smoking like it's 1960s RAND Corp
TL;DR
Daniel Ellsberg's 'The Doomsday Machine' draws parallels between nuclear war planners and today's AI researchers. Both groups share a sense of mission and urgency, with AI researchers even taking up smoking to signal their belief in AI's potential.
Daniel Ellsberg's 'The Doomsday Machine' resonates with today's AI researchers, highlighting a shared sense of mission and urgency. Ellsberg worked at RAND Corp during the missile gap years, believing nuclear holocaust was imminent. Similarly, AI researchers today are smoking to signal their faith in AI's potential to cure cancer and drive societal progress. The book details the burden of knowledge and the sense of brotherhood among nuclear war planners, mirroring the camaraderie in modern AI labs. The author notes that discontinuing retirement benefits at places like Anthropic would be a small sacrifice to demonstrate faith in universal high income, with corporate cost savings as an added bonus.
Key Points
Daniel Ellsberg's 'The Doomsday Machine' explores the history and development of nuclear weapons, 2023
Ellsberg worked at RAND Corp during the missile gap years, 1960s
AI researchers are smoking to signal their belief in AI's potential to cure cancer
Discontinuing retirement benefits at places like Anthropic would be a small sacrifice to demonstrate faith in universal high income
Corporate cost savings from discontinuing retirement benefits are a nice bonus for AI labs
Why It Matters
If you're an AI researcher or work in a lab like Anthropic, Ellsberg's insights into the mindset of nuclear war planners offer a stark parallel. The sense of mission and urgency, coupled with the willingness to make personal sacrifices, mirrors the current climate in AI research. This isn't just about historical curiosity; it's about understanding the mindset driving today's technological advancements.
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