Over-anthropomorphizing AI may lead to underestimating its true risks
AndyMasley · x · 2026-08-31
This tweet discusses differing concerns over the degree of anthropomorphizing AI. Those worried about risks often fear we will under-anthropomorphize AI and underestimate it, while those fearing hype worry about over-anthropomorphizing.
The author argues we should eventually worry most about over-anthropomorphizing, which also leads to underestimating AI's powers and risks. AI is like humans in many ways but is a distinct new category. While anthropomorphism helps intuit agency and planning, AI will be weirder, smarter, and more powerful in ways human analogy cannot capture.
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