Silicon Valley 'Effective Accelerationism' Ideology Debated: Proponents Tout AI for Social Good While Critics Warn of Risks
• 'Effective accelerationism' is an ideology promoted in Silicon Valley that advocates for unrestricted technological progress to solve problems like poverty and climate change.
• Supporters believe artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually surpass human intelligence, leading to a utopian technological 'singularity'.
• Critics argue the ideology is naive, not philosophically grounded, biased by the self-interest of its proponents, and risks environmental destruction.
• The ideology arises in contrast to 'effective altruism', a movement focused on using evidence-based philanthropy to efficiently help others.
• The EU has pioneered regulation of AI technology, banning certain applications, which supporters say preserves values though risks stifling innovation.