Tyler Cowen: AI Security Worries Should Adopt Scientific Methods
sebkrier · x · 2026-08-10
Economist Tyler Cowen pushes back against the doom-and-gloom narratives surrounding recent AI security incidents (like OpenAI/HuggingFace), arguing that severe worries are largely underargued.
He urges the discourse to adopt a scientific approach by requesting worriers to provide:
- Methodology: Outline how to estimate additional cybersecurity costs from AI break-ins over the next 2-3 years.
- Quantitative Estimates: Provide specific numerical predictions to be tested against future reality.
- Short Positions: Disclose which stocks or assets they have shorted to back up their risk assessments.
Cowen emphasizes that this exercise will shift the debate from personal anxiety management to rigorous science.
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