Steven Pinker on AGI, x-risk, and why he doubts AI consciousness
dioscuri · x · 2026-10-07
An interview hosted by Dan Williams and Dioscuri features cognitive scientist Steven Pinker discussing AGI, superintelligence, existential risk, and AI consciousness.
- Pinker explains why he's unfazed by instrumental convergence—the idea that AI would spontaneously develop power-seeking instrumental goals.
- He remains skeptical about AI consciousness.
- He spells out which concrete events would change his mind on both questions, and why.
Related event: Steven Pinker Pushes Back on AGI Doom Scenarios(2 posts)→
More from AGI Musings
- 'This Is Nuts': OpenAI Safety Protocol Author David Robinson Explains Why He Quit — sjgadler · 2026-10-08
- A Decade of Growth in a Year: GTM and Compute-Finance Talent at Scaling Labs Will Be the Next Scarcity — saranormous · 2026-10-08
- Dostoevsky saw it in 1864: show humans a prediction and they'll break it — billhilf · 2026-10-08
- With Math Delegated to OpenAI, Economics Research Faces a Reshuffle — soumitrashukla9 · 2026-10-08
- Higgsfield cofounder: SWE demand will collapse by end of 2027 — SimplyAnnisa · 2026-10-08
- AI ethics scholar: frontier leaders 'won't slow down until they feel like God' — LuizaJarovsky · 2026-10-08