I'm definitely open to the belief that sentient AI, "left to its own devices", might pose an existential risk. I guess what I'm trying to communicate, is that

I'm definitely open to the belief that sentient AI, "left to its own devices", might pose an existential risk. I guess what I'm trying to communicate, is that I don't think one has to buy the idea that we're anywhere close close to producing Sentient AI (which some people believe is impossible), in order to have a rational fear of the existential risk posed by "unaligned" humans that are assisted by powerful-but-not-sentient AI. My new understanding is that, AI sentience is not a precondition for AI-induced existential risk. Pre-Sentient AI already gives us plenty of existential rope to hang ourselves with.