The Week in AI that Changed the World, With Robert Wright | Nonzero × Doom Debates

NYT bestselling author Robert Wright and I are kicking off a new experiment, a Nonzero × Doom Debates collaboration to react to big AI news and help you make sense of it.

This week we discuss the epic AI vibe shift that was catalyzed by an Anthropic employee’s resignation—and the big AI stories that paved the way for it.

Timestamps

0:00 A bold new experiment in podcast synergy

2:46 What caused the epic AI vibe shift?

8:10 The resignation that broke the dam

10:17 Former Trump adviser Dean Ball comes clean

14:40 Are David Sacks and his buddies all-in on AI denial?

19:27 Yet another OpenAI breakout…

22:42 Astra’s dangerously private thoughts

34:08 Is alignment doomed to fail?

37:11 AI’s latest, and apparently biggest, math feat

43:28 The looming “self-sovereign AI” threat

47:24 A new flock of China doves?

52:57 Liron's ex-intern gets a seat at the table

1:02:41 AI agent self-sacrifice explained

1:10:40 Some newly freaked out politicians

1:22:45 Ro Khanna's AI safety plan

Links:

NONZERO

Subscribe to The NonZero Newsletter

Episode post on Substack

Join NonZero’s Discord server

Robert Wright on X (@robertwrighter)

The God Test — Robert Wright’s new book on AI

“Can Machines Think?” — Bob’s 1996 Time cover story on Deep Blue vs. Kasparov

THE RESIGNATION THAT BROKE THE DAM

Jacob Coxon’s resignation post (@hilbertspaess)

Evan Hubinger, Anthropic Alignment Science lead: “Jacob is correct here—we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans”

Fortune: Anthropic researcher resigns, warning that AI companies are “gambling with our lives”

Zvi Mowshowitz: “Jacob Coxon Warns of Human Extinction and Triggers a Preference Cascade”

Daniel Eth’s thread of Congress reactions

Sanders & Casar introduce legislation to ban artificial superintelligence and pause advanced AI development

DEAN BALL COMES CLEAN

Dean Ball, “On the Loose” — the self-sovereign AI essay (Hyperdimensional)

THE OPENAI STORIES

Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI Chief Scientist: “An Alien Mind” — the essay calling for international coordination

LessWrong: “How concerned should we be about Astra’s recurrent architecture?” — Rauno Arike

OpenAI: “On the Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem” — the 88-hour result

ALSO MENTIONED

Einat Wilf on X (@EinatWilf) — Liron’s favorite source on the Middle East

PAST DOOM DEBATES EPISODES MENTIONED

Max Tegmark vs. Dean Ball: Should We BAN Superintelligence?

He Led The Famous 2023 Statement on AI Extinction Risk — Adam Khoja, Center for AI Safety Researcher

OpenAI’s Model Just ATTACKED Them — Terrifying Security Incident Should Be A Loud Warning Shot

Debate with Robert Wright: Will Humanity Pass the “God Test”?

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