The Week in AI that Changed the World, With Robert Wright | Nonzero × Doom Debates

NYT bestselling author Robert Wright and I are kicking off a new experiment, a Nonzero × Doom Debates collaboration to react to big AI news and help you make sense of it.This week we discuss the epic AI vibe shift that was catalyzed by an Anthropic employee’s resignation—and the big AI stories that paved the way for it.Timestamps0:00 A bold new experiment in podcast synergy2:46 What caused the epic AI vibe shift?8:10 The resignation that broke the dam10:17 Former Trump adviser Dean Ball comes clean14:40 Are David Sacks and his buddies all-in on AI denial?19:27 Yet another OpenAI breakout…22:42 Astra’s dangerously private thoughts34:08 Is alignment doomed to fail?37:11 AI’s latest, and apparently biggest, math feat43:28 The looming “self-sovereign AI” threat47:24 A new flock of China doves?52:57 Liron's ex-intern gets a seat at the table1:02:41 AI agent self-sacrifice explained1:10:40 Some newly freaked out politicians1:22:45 Ro Khanna's AI safety planLinks:NONZEROSubscribe to The NonZero NewsletterEpisode post on SubstackJoin NonZero’s Discord serverRobert Wright on X (@robertwrighter)The God Test — Robert Wright’s new book on AI“Can Machines Think?” — Bob’s 1996 Time cover story on Deep Blue vs. KasparovTHE RESIGNATION THAT BROKE THE DAMJacob Coxon’s resignation post (@hilbertspaess)Evan Hubinger, Anthropic Alignment Science lead: “Jacob is correct here—we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans”Fortune: Anthropic researcher resigns, warning that AI companies are “gambling with our lives”Zvi Mowshowitz: “Jacob Coxon Warns of Human Extinction and Triggers a Preference Cascade”Daniel Eth’s thread of Congress reactionsSanders & Casar introduce legislation to ban artificial superintelligence and pause advanced AI developmentDEAN BALL COMES CLEANDean Ball, “On the Loose” — the self-sovereign AI essay (Hyperdimensional)THE OPENAI STORIESJakub Pachocki, OpenAI Chief Scientist: “An Alien Mind” — the essay calling for international coordinationLessWrong: “How concerned should we be about Astra’s recurrent architecture?” — Rauno ArikeOpenAI: “On the Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem” — the 88-hour resultALSO MENTIONEDEinat Wilf on X (@EinatWilf) — Liron’s favorite source on the Middle EastPAST DOOM DEBATES EPISODES MENTIONEDMax Tegmark vs. Dean Ball: Should We BAN Superintelligence?He Led The Famous 2023 Statement on AI Extinction Risk — Adam Khoja, Center for AI Safety ResearcherOpenAI’s Model Just ATTACKED Them — Terrifying Security Incident Should Be A Loud Warning ShotDebate with Robert Wright: Will Humanity Pass the “God Test”?---Doom Debates’ Mission is to raise mainstream awareness of imminent extinction fro