<![CDATA[My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030.]]>My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030.

So she had some very concerned questions for her computer scientist son. They were:

1. "How do they come up with those percentages? Do they just make them up, or do you think they have their chatbots make them up for them?"
2. "Are the Anthropic people swindlers or are they actually mentally unwell?"
3. "How can a guy who looks like his biggest worry ought to be whether his parents remembered to pack his school lunch be lead researcher for Anthropic?"

(I had to tell her that the press had misled her: Jacob Coxon was not lead researcher, just one of many researchers in their pretraining team.)

She then remarked that if *she* was an amoral CEO of an AI cult, she'd keep an eye out for employees who seemed like they were doing poorly and might want to leave soon. Then she'd offer them 10 million dollars in cash to "resign out of concern for the future of humanity".

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/ea0b565b-382a-414c-ab4e-018aba2dc425/my-70-year-old-mum-came-over-for-a-visit-today-and-she-d-read-some-of-the-news-stories-about-anthropic-researchers-estimating-that-there-s-a-10-chance-their-ai-systems-will-wipe-out-humanity-by-2030.RSS for NodeWed, 16 Sep 2026 22:27:13 GMTSat, 12 Sep 2026 18:18:50 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 06:12:48 GMT]]>@datarama Anthropic basically admits they've failed at doing alignment. Multiple people have shown it's possible to get AI to spit out detailed instructions on bioweapon creation. I don't think knowing how to make Anthrax is something everyone with a $20 sub should do.

Y'all are smoking something if you think this is a fad

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/budududuroiu/statuses/117262252008059122https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/budududuroiu/statuses/117262252008059122Sun, 13 Sep 2026 06:12:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:43:08 GMT]]>@datarama Funny, usually the term "elder abuse" refers to someone being a dick to an older person. But I think your mum just burned the shit out of every C-suite executive working with "AI*. Abuse from an elder?

I'm envious of you having her as your mother either way.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.eu/ap/users/115601049471092408/statuses/117262135331729856https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.eu/ap/users/115601049471092408/statuses/117262135331729856Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:43:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 04:21:27 GMT]]>@Aron @datarama Some of them actually fear “Roko’s basilisk”, the idea that a seemingly benevolent AI might decide to simulate facsimiles of people who didn’t help it exist and torture those facsimiles forever. The idea is profoundly, obviously stupid, yet some of the richest people in the world seem to take it seriously.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/bob_zim/statuses/117261814137823895https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/bob_zim/statuses/117261814137823895Sun, 13 Sep 2026 04:21:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 04:15:56 GMT]]>@Aron @datarama Some of them think by creating a benevolent machine god, they will save infinity future lives, and that this justifies almost any reprehensible action or sacrifice today. “It doesn’t matter if we actively push global warming now, because we’re making an AI to tell us how to fix it later!”

This particular cult is called “Longtermism”. It’s the L in TESCREAL.

Never mind that we already know what we have to do to fix global warming.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/bob_zim/statuses/117261792463914044https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/bob_zim/statuses/117261792463914044Sun, 13 Sep 2026 04:15:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:23:01 GMT]]>@bazcook @datarama The US housing market is so bad that we now have 40 year mortgages.

(Mind you, I understand that Toronto and Vancouver are worse.)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://universeodon.com/users/mathew/statuses/117261112546992946https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://universeodon.com/users/mathew/statuses/117261112546992946Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:23:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:07:46 GMT]]>@datarama

Knowing folk like your mom are out there leaves me in despair when I see the group photo of any set of organizers, and they are all men. Of a certain age. In suits.

We could have packed the supreme court with women like your mom, but no, we may not.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.online/users/Edelruth/statuses/117261052590324228https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.online/users/Edelruth/statuses/117261052590324228Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:07:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:04:42 GMT]]>@lady_alys @datarama @krig apparently there are an awful lot of geeks in the Knitting community, along with a lot of Grannies. And quite a few Granny Geeks.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/oddhack/statuses/117261040537501290https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/oddhack/statuses/117261040537501290Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:04:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:58:00 GMT]]>@ChrisUplus @datarama that’s something I could get behind!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117056210020287698/statuses/117261014154770742https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117056210020287698/statuses/117261014154770742Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:58:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:48:35 GMT]]>@NewsHund @datarama she's a geriatric intelligence (AGI). 🤩

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/ChrisUplus/statuses/117260977156174888https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/ChrisUplus/statuses/117260977156174888Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:48:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:47:46 GMT]]>@datarama @krig My mum taught me to code too! I remember once her helping me with a programming question while she was spinning wool on her spinning wheel. 😄 She was so talented.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/lady_alys/statuses/117260973944919258https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/lady_alys/statuses/117260973944919258Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:47:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:29:42 GMT]]>@datarama
i have been waiting for my flying car since 1975, once i get that i will worry about ai taking over the world "in 10 years".....ill be long dead before either happens....

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117260021037845255/statuses/117260902920325736https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117260021037845255/statuses/117260902920325736Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:29:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:21:34 GMT]]>@datarama your mum, like many mums I've known, could have ruled the world an would probably have done a better job than the people ruling it at the time...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodonapp.uk/users/Gabs/statuses/117260870889185389https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodonapp.uk/users/Gabs/statuses/117260870889185389Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:21:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:10:46 GMT]]>@smallerdemon Being goal-oriented has been promoted as a desirable personality trait without enough attention to the quality of the goals.

With these people, I'd much prefer that they were layabouts.
@Aron @datarama

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ohai.social/users/gnate/statuses/117260828464977499https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ohai.social/users/gnate/statuses/117260828464977499Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:10:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:04:30 GMT]]>@kasperd @datarama

36.486% of statistical percentages in politically-curated and public-relations-aware statements from actors with certain motivations are made up and phrased in a way to sell an agenda

but not mine!

really!

pinky promise!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/benroyce/statuses/117260803793873249https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/benroyce/statuses/117260803793873249Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:04:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:34:09 GMT]]>@datarama absolutly not Antropic board here she need to send her CV if we want a new CEO she have a good idea

*Satiric post*

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ieji.de/ap/users/117221018522385724/statuses/117260684452609036https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ieji.de/ap/users/117221018522385724/statuses/117260684452609036Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:34:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:08:38 GMT]]>@datarama
> How can a guy who looks like his biggest worry ought to be whether his parents remembered to pack his school lunch

Apparently due to better nutrition, photo filters and plastic surgeries, people these days look younger than same-aged people a few decades ago.

Or so I heard in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzKXF0T75ps

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.io/users/wolf480pl/statuses/117260584093898061https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.io/users/wolf480pl/statuses/117260584093898061Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:08:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:55:30 GMT]]>

How do they come up with those percentages? Do they just make them up, or do you think they have their chatbots make them up for them?

That’s a great question. I recently saw a collection of different prominent people’s guess about the number. The guesses ranged from 0% to 99.999999%

I am sure some of them must have asked a chatbot for the number. And the irony isn’t lost on me. Imagine asking a chatbot “how likely are you to destroy humanity” and then trusting the answer it gives you.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://westergaard.social/objects/3ede9fc1-5ccc-456d-ac9e-bd2a2e8dca82https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://westergaard.social/objects/3ede9fc1-5ccc-456d-ac9e-bd2a2e8dca82Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:55:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:54:25 GMT]]>@datarama Your mum would probably have liked my dad. He finally decided to buy his first smartphone in 2014 at 72. After learning how to use it (all by himself, he never asked for assistance), and after 2 months of use, he told me, “This thing is going to fuck up so many brains”.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://appdot.net/users/morrick/statuses/117260528197056138https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://appdot.net/users/morrick/statuses/117260528197056138Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:54:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:53:40 GMT]]>@datarama @inthehands also not making Rama’s mama sound less sharp

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/c0dec0dec0de/statuses/117260525268494638https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/c0dec0dec0de/statuses/117260525268494638Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:53:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:44:33 GMT]]>@datarama
https://youtu.be/HPlD5saPoM4?is=WJxgUS24Q19ZXrPn

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116158732256546859/statuses/117260489421252873https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116158732256546859/statuses/117260489421252873Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:44:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:39:05 GMT]]>@datarama @inthehands I did see that elsethread

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/c0dec0dec0de/statuses/117260467921399098https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/c0dec0dec0de/statuses/117260467921399098Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:39:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:35:19 GMT]]>@c0dec0dec0de @inthehands She does have a fedi account, she just almost never uses it. After she left Facebook she realized she didn't actually like social media very much.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/datarama/statuses/117260453106070591https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/datarama/statuses/117260453106070591Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:35:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:32:14 GMT]]>@inthehands @datarama come to fedi, we’ll give your mum appropriate compliments

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/c0dec0dec0de/statuses/117260441012229304https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/c0dec0dec0de/statuses/117260441012229304Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:32:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to My 70-year-old mum came over for a visit today, and she'd read some of the news stories about Anthropic researchers estimating that there's a 10% chance their AI systems will wipe out humanity by 2030. on Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:25:09 GMT]]>@datarama Your mum’s a legend. She saw right through them. 🖖

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/gavin57/statuses/117260413116068855https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/gavin57/statuses/117260413116068855Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:25:09 GMT