Jeff Clune on ASI bio-risk: no one can be certain, so stay humble
jeffclune · x · 2026-09-16
AI researcher Jeff Clune lays out his core position in a debate on ASI (superintelligence) risk: no one can be certain about anything here.
- To 'it isn't here yet, so why worry' arguments, he notes no one claims ASI exists today, so the objection doesn't apply.
- On whether an ASI that could engineer an x-risk virus could also defend against it: maybe, but maybe not—there's probability mass on both sides, and the question hinges on asymmetry between bio-offense and bio-defense.
- With too many interacting variables and unpredictable new technologies, he argues we should stay humble and acknowledge a real existential risk.
Related event: Jeff Clune on ASI Bio-Risk: Attack-Defense Asymmetry Is Real(2 posts)→
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