this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2026
23 points (100.0% liked)

askchapo

23212 readers
251 users here now

Ask Hexbear is the place to ask and answer ~~thought-provoking~~ questions.

Rules:

  1. Posts must ask a question.

  2. If the question asked is serious, answer seriously.

  3. Questions where you want to learn more about socialism are allowed, but questions in bad faith are not.

  4. Try !feedback@hexbear.net if you're having questions about regarding moderation, site policy, the site itself, development, volunteering or the mod team.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
PorkrollPosadist@hexbear.net
replaceable@hexbear.net
VILenin@hexbear.net
SexUnderSocialism@hexbear.net
khizuo@hexbear.net
Wakmrow@hexbear.net
23
Can someone explain Yudkowsky to me? (hexbear.net)
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by eastbeast@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net
13 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Some otherwise very well-informed comrades of mine have invited me to an AI-related groupchat where they discuss all matters LLM but one thing that really dominates the discussions is doomerism about how we're getting Skynet any second now or how LLM's are the first step to the machine that turns our blood into paperclips.

I've studied computer science but I'm by no means an AI expert or anything. I just have a hard time seeing the development going from these glorified autocorrect functions to AGI or "real" AI or whatever.

When I bring up problems generated by "AI" in the here and now that worry me (environmental impacts, loss of jobs, the obvious bubble etc.) they agree with me, but then often pivot to AI safety issues and they mention Yudkowsky a lot. I read some of his Harry Potter fanfic a few years ago and listened to a TrueAnon episode about some futurist doomer cult or something in which his name came up, that's basically all I know about him.

Can someone explain what this dude's deal is?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

If you want detail beyond the responses here, the book More Everything Forever is a good resource.

Also, since the book doesn't point this out and because misery loves company, I'm gonna add that Eliezer's movement is a cult of personality that attracts a lot of impressionable young people, including ex-Christian/Evangelical and draws them into a libertine environment of drug fueled sex parties that have, unsurprisingly, generated a lot of allegations of assault. One of the prime movers in that particular sphere is a sex worker whose breakout into internet stardom was a photo album wherein she pretended to get SA'd by garden gnomes.