Debater cites Second Temple's fall to challenge Scott Alexander on AI doomerism
JoshPurtell · x · 2026-10-02
Josh Purtell pushed back on Scott Alexander's AI safety skepticism with a historical analogy: apocalyptic movements in 1st-century Judea helped provoke Rome's destruction of the Second Temple and enslavement of its population — meaning doomers' fears "caused" a real catastrophe. He argues this complicates mocking those alarmed by AI risk: sometimes the fear was warranted, and the analogy cuts both ways in the AI safety debate.
Related event: Debate Flares Over AI Doom Warnings and Historical Analogies(2 posts)→
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