Boaz Barak puts low odds on AI extinction but offers to debate Scott Alexander anytime in 2035
dhadfieldmenell · x · 2026-09-20
Former OpenAI researcher Boaz Barak says he assigns a low probability to literal human extinction from AI, and offers to publicly debate Scott Alexander on whether AI will kill all humans — "any day in 2035."
However, he rejects the argument that worrying about extinction distracts from other risks: most interventions — pacing, safety and alignment investment, auditing, regulation — mitigate multiple AI risks at once.
While he worries more about non-existential risks such as serious incidents, concentration of power, destabilization, and gradual loss of control, he ends up agreeing with "doomers" on many fronts.
Related event: Boaz Barak Challenges Scott Alexander to Debate AI Extinction Risk(2 posts)→
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