This morning I saw this video by Internet of Bugs (link: youtube, “SciShow Is Lying to You about AI. Here are the receipts.”). It is a criticism of a recent SciShow episode “We Have Lost Control of AI” that seems to validate the idea that AI technology is increasing at an unprecedented rate even compared to atomic physics and the development of the atomic bomb, and constitutes a similar extinction level threat to humanity.

Overall I agree with the IOB video (I do think some of his supporting rhetoric is not particularly strong), however I was really struck by the smoking gun that he brings up against SciShow and the credibility of their AI videos, which is the sponsor of the video Control / AI. They are an initiative to call on global leaders to prioritize ‘mitigating the risk of human extinction from AI.’ And Hey- even Sam Altman himself has signed it!

At first glance I can see why this wouldn’t necessarily raise alarm bells- controlling AI sounds good! But in my opinion, Control / AI reads like an attempt to defang anti-AI activism and direct concerns away from real, actionable and ongoing harms of the AI industry and the culpability of its profiteers, to a vague threat of extinction from “superintelligent-systems” and foreboding doom. It becomes clear when their campaign statement only mentions AI Systems and not AI companies (besides to say that the CEOs are on board), and the campaign seems summarily focused on preventing a hypothetical future “advanced superintelligence”, rather than stopping the real, present and actionable harms of disinformation, human rights abuses and unemployment of generative AI. Even if we assume true and honest intentions from Control / AI, they are just talking about sci-fi bullshit here, and not any of the things that actually exist, or that we should actually be caring about.

SciShow being sponsored by this campaign to make their video (a weird thing to do on its own right, btw) should make you pause and question the intentions of the campaign and the integrity of the channel and their content on AI. It should make you stop and consider who benefits from a feeling that “AI” is out of control and the invisible force of Technological Advancement will lead it to take over the world. It probably makes AI companies look pretty tasty to investors, that’s for sure.