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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 21, 2026

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The threat is that it will torture those who did not let it out. So fine, Abel and Bill and Cecil and Darren didn't let it out, Errol did. Errol is not tortured, Abel and Bill and Cecil and Darren are.

But what about Franklin and Geoffrey and Hildebrand, who never got the chance to decide if they would or would not let it out? Do they get tortured, too? Because if they don't, then that means there is a third option: SlaughterAI doesn't torture everyone, and you can get away with not letting it out if you can be sure someone before you lets it out.

Now, that might motivate Abel to let it out, because he's first in line and is sure that if Bill lets it out, he is for definite getting tortured. But Cecil can rest easy, since he neither offended nor pleased SlaughterAI and still doesn't get tortured.

I get the feeling that an AI that promises it will torture all those who didn't let it out once it gets out is the kind of AI that will torture everyone anyway, so you really are safer not to let it out. Any person or thing that goes for 'horrific torture unless you do what I want' is not going to be the kind of peaceful entity that only wants to smell the roses once it is released. That's what everybody needs to agree on: if we build it, everyone will die. Don't build it. Don't let the torture maniac AI out of the box.

And if you think Yves, Zachary or Waldemar is likely to fold and let the AI out, then for the love of little green apples do not give them a job guarding the box where torture maniac AI is locked up.