Why you shouldn't press the 'replace this universe' button: an alignment debate
jd_pressman · x · 2026-10-16
jdpressman revisits the classic alignment thought experiment: would you press a button to destroy this universe and replace it with one of people living better lives? He concedes the unilateral utilitarian argument but rejects its premise — democracy exists precisely to prevent unilateral acts like this, and the personal expected utility of pressing is near zero unless you're a radical altruist. The answer is no, because current people actually exist.
Related event: Researcher jd_pressman Rejects Successionism in AI Alignment Debate(9 posts)→
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