Thank you for this answer. I will be citing this comment (as well as the one from user _rpd).
MieszkoP
Karma: 19
Why do they even talk about x-risk?
I think the phenomenon of repression[1] has been captured well in this text. Mr. Humman knows that he is a weaker chess player than Mr. Neumann, and also knows that he is a weaker than Mr. Assi. For this reason, he avoids confronting the former and does not want to put any money on a slight loss against the latter.
I observe this phenomenon very often when I try to persuade people in IT to oppose the development of AI. It’s easier to deceive oneself than to confront an uncomfortable truth.
A lot of harm is done here by pop culture. Male–female relationships don’t look anything like they do in the Disney universe, work doesn’t look like it does in The Office, and young people don’t live the way they do in Friends. Good intentions aren’t enough to achieve success in life. Illness exists, death exists. We push these thoughts away. It’s similar when it comes to ASI.- ^
Repression is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously blocks or pushes away thoughts, memories, or impulses that are too troubling, painful, or socially unacceptable to deal with.
These unwanted mental contents don’t disappear — they are stored outside of conscious awareness and can still influence behavior, emotions, and decision-making.
- ^
I’m not so sure. I think the requirement to read the material before the group meeting is a strong motivator to actually do it, and it allows time to reflect on the text. Reading during the meeting wastes the time of those who have already read it, and if the text is long, it could mean hours of reading. Reading on your own also allows for a much deeper analysis of the content compared to listening to an audiobook. I also disagree with the idea of imposing age or knowledge-level restrictions. If someone has read the text with understanding, it implies they looked up any concepts they encountered along the way. On the other hand, if the text is very introductory, it stands to reason that the participants won’t be experienced individuals, as they wouldn’t want to go over the basics again.