Why AI Doom Fears Stick: NYT Explains the Psychology Behind Existential Risk

人工智能末日论：人类为何会如此担忧？

An Anthropic researcher quit over fears of uncontrollable superintelligence, reigniting AI-doom debates. The article argues humans are wired to fear new risks more than familiar ones—driving feels safer than flying, even though it isn't. Anthrax, asteroids, and pandemics could also end humanity, but probabilities are low. Harvard's risk center director says AI feels scary because it's "not within our perceived control." Oxford's Toby Ord estimates a 3% chance of an extinction-level pandemic this century; NASA says asteroid risk is near zero for 1,000 years. The post doesn't give a specific AI extinction probability, but notes many doomers held this narrative before deep learning took off, and researchers outside Silicon Valley largely see the fears as overblown.