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I posted, but deleted this in response to a previous AI thread, but I think it actually aged better with Elon's signature to the letter yesterday and Yud's oped:
I am not a Musk fanboy, but I'll say this, Elon Musk very transparently cares about the survival of humanity as humanity, and it is deeply present down to a biological drive to reproduce his own genes. Musk openly worries about things like dropping birth rates, while also personally spotlighting his own rabbit-like reproductive efforts. Musk clearly is a guy who wants and expects his own genes to spread, last and thrive in future generations. This is a rising tides approach for humans Musk has also signaled clearly against unnatural life extensions.
“I certainly would like to maintain health for a longer period of time,” Musk told Insider. “But I am not afraid of dying. I think it would come as a relief.”
and
"Increasing quality of life for the aged is important, but increased lifespan, especially if cognitive impairment is not addressed, is not good for civilization."
Now, there is plenty, that I as a conservative, Christian, and Luddish would readily fault in Musk (e.g. his affairs and divorces). But from this perspective Musk certainly has large overlap with a traditionally "ordered" view of civilization and human flourishing.
Altman, on the other hand has no children, and as a gay man, never will have children inside of a traditional framework (yes I am aware many (all?) of Musks own children were IVF. I am no Musk fanboy).
I certainly hope this is just my bias showing, but I have greater fear for Altman types running the show than Musks because they are a few extra steps removed from stake in future civilization. We know that Musk wants to preserve humanity for his children and his grandchildren. Can we be sure that's anymore than an abstract good for Altman?
I'd rather put my faith in Musks own "selfish" genes at the cost of knowing most of my descendants will eventually be his too than in a bachelor, not driven by fecund sexual biology, doing cool tech.
Every child Musk pops out is more the tightly intermingled his genetic future is with the rest of humanity's.
In Yud's oped, which I frankly think contains a lot of hysteria, mixed among a few decent points, he says this:
I'm unclear whether this is Yud's bio-kid or a step kid, but the point ressonates with my perspective of Elon Musk. A few days ago SA indicated a similar thing about a hypothetical kid(?)
In either case, I don't know about AI x-risk. I am much more worried about 2cimerafa's economic collapse risk. But in both scenarios I am increasingly of a perspective that I'll cheekily describe as "You shouldn't get to have a decision on AI development unless you have young children". You don't have enough stake.
I have growing distrust of those of you without bio-children eager or indifferent to building a successor race or exhaulting yourself through immortal transhumanist fancies.
I see your "skin in the game" argument, but as a counterpoint, I have always distrusted parents when I hear them say things like "I'd happily vaporize half of humanity to save my own children." I understand the sentiment, but it doesn't make me think having children means you are more invested in the future thriving of humanity. It just means you are invested in the thriving of your own progeny, regardless of what it might cost others.
I understand, and am generally inclined to accept this point. Mostly, it is only my tribe with children who I trust the most. However, tribes are concentric circles, and here, I don't think your objection applies if we are talking about existential crises.
I am sure that Elon Musk would do a lot of (indirect) harm to me to see his children survive, thrive. But if AI has the possibility to conquer / destroy the whole world or flip the whole Western economy into unpredictable pieces, then my entire point is that a parent saving their own child, will necessarily care about saving at least some of humanity. Certainly more so than a singleton who abstractly reasons that a successor race of AI reaching the stars actually extends our legacy best.
If you have a button that might blow up the whole world or give you riches, I believe the risk reward calculus changes if you also have children and moreover the way you approach the question is less alien to me.
ON the other hand in the case of just economic board flipping, I think it's not coincidence that the two most hyped transhumanists on the board are non-Westerner expats from their own countries, and at least one of whom has no children. I trust the future most to those with families invested in a Western, Catholic, American life and move outward from there.
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