For years, the whispers of AI’s dark potential grew louder among tech’s elite. Yet, 2024 saw these warnings drowned out by the siren song of generative AI—touted as the next gold rush by those with the most to gain. 😮
Enter the ‘AI doomers’, a group dismissed by many but feared by some, warning of AI’s existential threats: from life-and-death decisions to societal collapse. Their cries for caution, however, were met with a tech industry charging full speed ahead, led by figures like Marc Andreessen, who penned the controversial ‘Why AI Will Save the World’, advocating for minimal regulation to keep the U.S. ahead in the global AI race.
The battle lines were drawn in California with SB 1047, a bill aimed at curbing AI’s catastrophic risks. Despite passing, it was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, sparking outrage and debate. The tech giants, including heavyweights from Y Combinator and a16z, lobbied hard against it, while AI luminaries like Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio stood in support.
As the year closed, the AI doomers faced setbacks but vowed to fight on into 2025, with real-world incidents fueling their cause. The question remains: Can we harness AI’s boundless potential without unleashing its darker side?
