Anthropic veterans are reportedly buying remote land in the U.S. as a contingency plan for AI risks, according to a WSJ report.
Some of the company's longest-serving employees are considering purchasing land in remote areas where they could relocate if AI spirals out of control.
The idea of fleeing AI is not new in this group, with former employees recalling discussions during company dinners about a Manhattan Project-style scenario.
The report traces how closely Anthropic's and OpenAI's earliest hires are tied to the Effective Altruism (EA) subculture. Some come from a Bay Area network of 'doomers' who've spent years gaming out end-of-the-world scenarios. Eliezer Yudkowsky sounded the alarm about uncontrolled AI back in the mid-2000s, becoming the intellectual godfather of this subculture.
Before AI rose to the top of the threat list, the group obsessed over catastrophic risks from asteroid impacts to supervolcanoes.
The WSJ report highlights the growing concern among Anthropic veterans about the potential risks of AI. The idea of relocating to a remote location, such as a desert or an electromagnetically shielded government facility, is being considered as a safeguard against AI going awry.
"Some of its earliest employees told an industry colleague they're considering buying land in remote parts of the US where they could relocate 'if AI goes awry,'" said a source.
This reflects a broader concern within the Effective Altruism community about the potential risks of uncontrolled AI. The report suggests that these contingency plans are part of a larger conversation about AI safety and preparedness.
The announcement follows a broader trend of AI risk discussions within the Effective Altruism community. The WSJ report underscores the growing anxiety about the potential consequences of uncontrolled AI. The source did not say whether these plans are formal or informal, and it remains unclear what the next steps will be for these Anthropic veterans.
Source: thedecoder
