Clarifying Misrepresentations of Eliezer's Views: High p(doom) is the Real Debate
AndyMasley · x · 2026-08-01
The author clarifies a common misrepresentation of Eliezer Yudkowsky's views on AI risk. Yudkowsky's extreme scenario envisions global governments signing a treaty against developing superintelligent AI; if someone breaks it, using military force—even risking nuclear war—would be a justified trade-off, much like stopping a global bioweapon.
The author emphasizes that reaching this conclusion requires no weird utilitarian or longtermist philosophy. Anyone believing in a high p(doom) (probability of AI causing human extinction) would arrive at the same logical implication. Thus, the actual debate should focus on the likelihood of p(doom), rather than the ethical frameworks of longtermism.
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