Let's say it's the 17th century and you've stumbled across a cadre of intimidatingly clever and charming aristocrats who believe that they're on the verge of su

Let's say it's the 17th century and you've stumbled across a cadre of intimidatingly clever and charming aristocrats who believe that they're on the verge of summoning an ancient Egyptian demon who will either be the salvatation or doom of humanity. It's critical that the ritual be fully understood and correctly performed if salvation is to be acheived and doom is avoided. These gentlemen then tell you that other groups are almost as near to the summoning as themselves, but that any approach other than their own is reckless and ultimately apocolyptic. That's the headspace or the serious AI Safety people. Like the 17th century occultists and their work, it's fanatical and zealous and not easily disprovable because it relies on secret, mystified knowledge that outsiders can't possibly conprehend. To them, skepticism only reflects ignorance. And yeah, it easily looks totally nutso and delusional from the outside, whether they're ultimately right or wrong. When AI Safety talks go beyond brand protection (don't let Bing play Nazi roleplay) and into existential melodrama, you need to interpret it through this kind of lens.