AI Doomer Still Starving During Week Four of Anthropic Hunger Strike

The 56-year-old activist, who runs the group Stop AI, has consumed nothing however electrolytes and nutritional vitamins since September 1. His demand is simple: Anthropic and its CEO, Dario Amodei, ought to acknowledge the existential dangers posed by superior AI and name for an instantaneous halt to the race towards superintelligence. In Reichstadter’s telling, the corporate is cloaking itself in silence whereas endangering the very individuals who unknowingly maintain it.

“Have they no disgrace?” he requested in his newest publish.

Reichstadter isn’t new to dramatic protest. Earlier this yr, he chained open the doorways at OpenAI’s workplace and staged demonstrations at Google DeepMind. Neither is he alone: He was joined by Michael Trazzi and Denys Sheremet, who started parallel starvation strikes exterior DeepMind’s London workplace.

On Monday, nonetheless, Sheremet called it quits—and Trazzi confirmed Tuesday that he did the same.

“After 16 days with zero energy, I’ve determined to cease the starvation strike exterior of Google DeepMind,” Sheremet wrote. “I nonetheless hope the management of DeepMind will make a primary step in direction of de-escalating the race in direction of extraordinarily harmful AI.”

Native retailers just like the San Francisco Commonplace and SFGate have documented Reichstadter’s vigil, noting his insistence that Amodei personally meet with him to elucidate why Anthropic continues its present course.

For now, Anthropic has not commented publicly on the strike. (We have reached out for remark and can replace ought to they reply.) The corporate markets itself as an trade chief on AI security, however Reichstadter accuses it of spreading “the lie that the race to superintelligence will be completed ‘safely’ or ‘responsibly.’” His protest highlights the rising rift between AI labs intent on scaling fashions and activists who view the hassle as an existential gamble.

On dialogue boards just like the Efficient Altruism Discussion board, the activist’s opening missive was additionally revealed, calling for an immediate cessation of “reckless actions” by Anthropic and urging society to deal with the AI race as an emergency. 

Whether or not his quick forces that debate into the open—or ends in private tragedy—stays unsure. Starvation strikes are designed to shock public conscience, however their energy will depend on whether or not the encircling neighborhood chooses to concentrate.

For twenty-four days and counting, Reichstadter has wagered his well being on the possibility that they are going to.