Effective Altruists' AI Doomsday Warnings Meet Skepticism in Washington
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A group called "effective altruists" believes AI poses an existential threat to humanity and has infiltrated Washington policy circles.
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Effective altruists are backed by tech billionaires and push for restrictions on AI development to prevent doomsday scenarios.
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Critics say effective altruists distract from current AI harms like bias and privacy issues to serve the self-interests of AI companies.
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Lawmakers express skepticism but some echo effective altruists' fears, while Black lawmakers focus more on near-term AI harms.
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Effective altruists have had success influencing policy but face challenges due to racial blindspots and seeking huge changes based on speculative risks.