Duvenaud: fear of losing meaning from AI job loss evolved to prevent ostracism
ZoubinGhahrama1 · x · 2026-10-09
David Duvenaud argues the fear of "loss of meaning" from AI job loss, while seemingly trivial next to fearing death, shares the same evolutionary root: our desire for meaning evolved to prevent potentially fatal ostracism, since sources of meaning like helping others or being skilled are also reasons for others to support us. Zoubin Ghahramani replied, pointing to Rebecca Goldstein's 'The Mattering Instinct' on the different ways people derive meaning.
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