Peter Thiel says that effective altruists got 'one big thing right'
Peter Thiel, a prominent tech investor, stated that early effective altruists were correct in predicting the advent and transformative power of AI, despite his general criticism of the movement. He noted their foresight regarding AI's potential for societal impact and weaponization, even linking the movement to the origins of AI company Anthropic.
Why it matters
This highlights the historical foresight of a controversial movement regarding a critical technology, offering a unique perspective from a major tech figure on AI's development and the influence of philosophical movements. It also touches on the origins of significant AI companies.
Peter Thiel said that early effective altruists were right to say AI was coming. Gerald Matzka/Getty Images Peter Thiel said that while he is critical of the movement, early effective altruists were right about AI. In a clip of Walter Isaacson's "The Builders" podcast, shared exclusively with BI, Thiel compared effective altruism to a cult. "There was one big thing they knew that the other people did not," he said. Many AI leaders have turned their ire to effective altruism. Peter Thiel isn't a fan himself, but he thinks the movement got "one big thing" right. Thiel spoke to Walter Isaacson on his forthcoming podcast, "The Builders." In a clip shared exclusively with Business Insider, Thiel compared effective altruism to a cult — but said that followers were right in their early AI predictions.
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