Cal Newport on Big AI “Doom Trolling”

Liked Dear AI Companies: Stop the “Doom Trolling” by Cal Newport (Cal Newport) In my op-ed. I ask the leading AI labs to stop pretending they’re the reluctant stewards of an inevitable technology, and instead act like normal consumer product companies. This means that they should explain the benefits of their tools, justify their costs, and, of course, affirm that they have no intention of causing existential damage along the way. Cal Newport wrote a New York Times op-ed calling on big AI companies to stop “doom trolling” and published a short summary of his argument on his personal website. He specifically criticizes some of the big AI companies for warning (or threatening?) that their technology could spiral out of control and put millions out of work or destroy society or humanity as we know it. His broad critiques are that the “doom trolling” is disingenuous and has a negative effect on people who read it. I agree with Mr. Newport regarding the existence of the “doom trolling”…