Comment by grafmax
1 day ago
It seems as if the buzz around AI is so intoxicating that people forgo basic reasoning about the world around them. The recent Grok video where Elon is giddy about Grok’s burgeoning capabilities. Altman’s claims that AI will usher in a new utopia. This singularity giddiness is infectious yet denies the worsening world around us - exacerbated by AI - mass surveillance, authoritarianism, climate change.
Psychologically I wonder if these half-baked hopes provide a kind of escapist outlet. Maybe for some people it feels safer to hide your head in the sand where you can no longer see the dangers around you.
I think cognitive dissonance explains much of it. Assuming Altman isn’t a sociopath (not unheard of in CEOs) he must feel awful about himself on some level. He may be many things, but he is certainly not naive about the impact ai will have on labor and need for ubi. The mind flips from the uncomfortable feeling of “I’m getting rich by destroying society as we know it” to “I am going to save the world with my super important ai innovations!”
Cognitive dissonance drives a lot “save the world” energy. People have undeserved wealth they might feel bad about, given prevailing moral traditions, if they weren’t so busy fighting for justice or saving the planet or something that allows them to feel more like a super hero than just another sinful human.