Vitalik Buterin Warns of AI Apocalypse: AI Might Obliterate Humanity Entirely

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, recently shared his musings on “techno-optimism,” a concept triggered by Marc Andreessen‘s thoughts on AI outlined in his Techno-Optimist Manifesto.

Echoing Andreessen’s positive outlook, Buterin delved into the crucial nature of AI’s development trajectory. He balanced this with a stark acknowledgment of the existential risk posed by unchecked artificial intelligence, cautioning that a super intelligent AI might obliterate humanity entirely.

Buterin referred to a 2022 AI Impacts survey, noting the concerns of 5% to 10% of participants regarding human extinction due to AI or the inability to control it. He championed a security-centric open-source movement to steer AI development, believing it to be more conducive to a future where humans maintain agency in a superintelligent world.

Emphasizing the necessity of human intentionality in steering AI’s trajectory, Buterin stressed the importance of deliberate choice in determining its outcomes. He appreciated technology’s role in expanding human potential, from primitive tools to smartphones, aligning with his belief in humanity’s innate goodness.

While optimistic about transformative technology’s potential, Buterin rejected maintaining the status quo. He urged discernment in fostering technology that genuinely enhances human welfare while mitigating negative impacts. He cautioned against the ascent of digital authoritarianism and surveillance technology, expressing concerns about concentrated technological power.

Though he empathized with the effective acceleration (e/acc) movement, Buterin voiced reservations about its embrace of military technology. He warned against an America-centric worldview and the opacity surrounding power concentrations, advocating instead for a philosophy favoring defense, decentralization, democracy, and differential (d/acc) to nurture pluralistic governance models and societal freedom.

Contemplating the direction of acceleration, Buterin pondered the 21st century’s significance as humanity’s decisive juncture, shaping its fate for centuries. He anticipated humanity’s collective endeavor to seek answers to these pivotal questions, saying, “These are challenging problems, but I look forward to watching and participating in our species’ grand collective effort to find the answers.”