'I saw Terminator 2': Y Combinator's Garry Tan pushes back on AI extinction fears
Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan argues that the tech industry should prioritize immediate AI risks like cybersecurity and infrastructure security over hypothetical 'doomsday' scenarios. He emphasizes focusing on science fact rather than science fiction, citing recent incidents like the OpenAI-Hugging Face hack.
Why it matters
This reflects a growing divide in Silicon Valley between those focused on existential AI threats and those prioritizing practical, near-term safety and security.
Garry Tan says we need to separate 'science fact from science fiction.' Bloomberg/Getty Images Garry Tan urged people to focus on real AI risks, not Hollywood doomsday scenarios. Anthropic and OpenAI are facing criticism from insiders over their approaches to AI safety. Y Combinator is the backer of hundreds of AI startups, including OpenAI, Scale AI, and Emergent. Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan says people are getting distracted by Hollywood-style doomsday scenarios when they should be focused on the real AI risks emerging today. "I think that we need to be focused on science fact, not science fiction," Tan said in a CNBC interview on Thursday. "I saw 'Terminator 2' also. It's a great movie." For the uninitiated, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is a 1991 sci-fi flick about the T-800, a cyborg that travels back in time from a dystopian future.
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