AI Devotees Return to Harmful Habits Because They Believe in Technology
They are convinced that even if they fall ill, AI will by then be capable of curing them.
Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar revealed that some AI specialists have started smoking to demonstrate their conviction in the future of the technology. According to their logic, if AI can cure cancer, the risks of smoking will no longer matter. "I believe in AI so much that I’m betting everything on it," he explained the symbolism of such an act.
Sankar did not name specific researchers or provide evidence of this trend. Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable diseases and deaths, and there have been no breakthroughs in AI capable of eliminating its consequences yet.
However, similar attitudes have already emerged in the tech community. As Business Insider reported, some startup founders, engineers, and investors have started smoking despite the popularity of health practices in the industry, such as cryotherapy, sleep tracking, and biohacking.
There are also those who believe that AI will eventually solve the problem of lung cancer. "By the time you develop the disease, our AI robots should already be able to cure it," said Friend startup founder Avi Schiffmann earlier.
In an interview with CBS News, Sankar also criticized the "mass psychosis" and "social delusion" prevailing in Silicon Valley around AI. He accused AI safety advocates of turning artificial general intelligence (AGI) into a kind of "machine god." In his view, many developers are filling the "God-shaped hole" described by philosopher Blaise Pascal with faith in AGI as a supreme force.
