In The Odyssey, Ulysses longs to hear the sirens, creatures whose song was so beautiful it drove sailors to steer their ships into rocks. But through his cunning, he finds a way not to risk his life and get to enjoy the beguiling Siren song.
Ulysses has himself tied to the mast and orders his crew to plug their ears with wax. He hears the song while the ship stays its course and everyone survives.
That ancient myth is suddenly very modern when you consider AI to be our siren song, i.e., unimaginable breakthroughs, seductive acceleration, and extraordinary rewards at the price of existential risk.
It seems like the majority of the conversations revolve around... (read more)