Debate with Robin Hanson: AI harms are mostly knowledge spreading, like libraries
jessi_cata · x · 2026-11-02
In a debate with Robin Hanson, the author argues that more GPUs, better training algorithms, and more data primarily accelerate the spread of knowledge — a faster version of what libraries, universities, and newspapers already do. The AI harms people cite (e.g. hacks) are mostly harms of knowledge diffusion.
He questions why we blame AI but not libraries, and asks: if speed is the crux, what is the optimal rate of revealing truths generally?
Related event: Economist Robin Hanson argues AI harms are mostly knowledge-spread harms(2 posts)→
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