Scott Alexander's open letter to Steven Pinker on AI risk kicks off a debate
ben_j_todd · x · 2026-10-08
Scott Alexander publishes an open letter to Steven Pinker responding to their social media clash over AI risk. After Alexander publicly challenged Pinker to a debate — and was flooded by podcast and debating-society offers, which he recounts self-deprecatingly — Pinker replied with his own open letter, arguing confrontational in-person debates aren't truth-seeking and restating his case that AI may not be so dangerous. Alexander agrees to engage the arguments in a spirit of respectful inquiry. The post includes only the opening of the letter.
Related event: Scott Alexander's Open Letter to Pinker Ignites Multi-Front AI Risk Debate(28 posts)→
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