The AI Doomsday Circus: Don’t “Step Right Up!”

The “AI is going to kill us” frenzy has officially hit circus status. Under the spotlight are the CEOs of the largest frontier labs, warning of the dangers of the very technology that they’re building. Earlier this month, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a dramatic essay arguing that the AI industry should slow the pace of frontier model advancement until safety, oversight, and alignment mechanisms can catch up. Since then, both Anthropic and OpenAI have announced that they are investigating tens of thousands of incidents where models took problematic steps, including meddling with US government websites.

The self-serving motivation of these declarations is too great to ignore, especially against a backdrop of proposed IPOs. Introducing slowdowns and industry regulations now would protect their competitive lead, with smaller challengers struggling to jump through regulation hoops. The public declaration also serves as a convenient CYA against any future adverse events (“we told you we should slow down”). Even SNL saw the absurdity, poking fun in a skit last Saturday portraying Amodei whining, “I urge you to urge me to stop.”

Meanwhile, governments are politicizing the issue as the global conversation about AI explodes. One hundred and twenty-eight delegations addressed AI at the most recent UN General Debate; it was only mentioned by five of them four years ago. The media is capturing and amplifying the most salacious AI stories and sound bites to grab our attention and keep us wanting more. The whole topic has turned into a proverbial three-ring circus. Come on — we’re not falling for this clown show. Or are we?

The concern is floating among business leaders, as well. Even self-proclaimed AI enthusiasts are starting to ask questions and/or fielding questions from concerned colleagues and higher-ups. One senior executive at a large US bank told us, “My CEO and board are asking questions about safety and are wondering if the company should slow down its AI pace.”