The AI doomsdayers aren't new. You just weren't paying attention.
This article explores the history of AI doomerism in Silicon Valley, noting that fears of existential risk have been prevalent among tech workers for years. It questions why these warnings have suddenly gained viral public attention despite being a long-standing theme in the industry.
Why it matters
Understanding the cycle of AI hype and fear helps contextualize current public anxiety and the motivations behind industry transparency.
Tech workers have warned about an AI apocalypse for years. Why is it so viral now? Kirill Rudenko/Getty Images Jacob Coxon's resignation from Anthropic sparked a viral debate about AI extinction fears. Tech has been full of doomsdayers for years. Sam Altman said AI would probably "lead to the end of the world" in 2015. The question remains: Why do we suddenly care? Employees of the big AI labs are debating the death of the human race — again. If you've missed the apocalyptic chyrons on your TV and front-page headlines, former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon warned that "the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." The X post set off a firestorm of AI lab employees building their own extinction theories and spitballing percentage chances of imminent death. For many, that feels shocking.
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