Optimists build planes, pessimists build parachutes: an analogy for AI factions
prasanna_says · x · 2026-10-16
A viral aphorism on X: optimists are good because they build planes, pessimists are good because they build parachutes, while cynics suck the life out of everything. The author maps this onto AI's factions — e/acc (accelerationists), mechinterp researchers, and doomers — implying the first two each play a constructive role in advancing and safeguarding technology, while pure cynicism builds nothing.
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