I was having a conversation with my friend about this. We were discussing AI and she believes AI will destroy all of humanity just like so many others. I personally don’t believe that. I’m aware of all the theories and the multitude of ways that it could happen and I understand that with AI, in theory we wouldn’t understand its goals so we wouldn’t know how it would destroy us but again, that’s just a theory.
There’s also the constant fear of massive nuclear holocaust with WWIII but I also don’t believe that we’d realistically get to a point where we’d use Nukes on each other knowing the implications of what would happen. But it made me realize that we’re constantly fearful of mass extinction. To the point where some people fight tooth and nail and will not try to look at things from a more positive or optimistic perspective. It’s all death or you’re wrong.
Please help me understand this. I’m here with open ears.
My guess would be that it’s simply because we are aware of the concept of extinction and have watched as other species have gone extinct. This causes some existential dread, like learning about death might.
It’s pretty ironic that the actual mass extinction that’s currently happening is not really acknowledged by most people.
You mean the fact that in 100 years we’ll all be dead and all the people from 100 years ago are already dead?
Nope, I’m talking about the sixth mass extinction. The Holocene extinction , caused by human activity.
We have only recently (in terms of the length of history) entered an era where we can produce weapons capable of eliminating our own entire species. Wouldn’t it be weird if we weren’t thinking about that?
Because when the world is about to end it’s an excuse to not try at life.
“I’m not gonna save for retirement because I’m not gonna live past the age of 30 lol”
- every 22 year old
…
“Fuck.”
- every 31 year old
Eh I don’t think we’re obsessed with it, it’s more just like the likely outcome due to human nature. Largely pushed by:
- greed
- differences
- And only asking “could we” and not “should we”
I’m sorry human nature? As in humans’ tendency to stop existing? To all just die out and not proliferate everywhere and master new levels of reality at an accelerating rate?
What about human nature indicates a lack of survival?
I don’t know anyone who even thinks about it, much less is obsessed with it.
Redditors, mostly
