"I lost trust": Why the OpenAI team in charge of safeguarding humanity imploded

misk@sopuli.xyz to Technology@lemmy.world – 249 points –
vox.com
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Humanity is surrounding itself with the harbingers of its own self-inflicted destruction.

All in the name of not only tolerated avarice, but celebrated avarice.

Greed is a more effectively harmful human impulse than even hate. We've merely been propagandized to ignore greed, oh im sorry "rational self-interest," as the personal failing and character deficit it is.

The widely accepted thought terminating cliche of "it's just business" should never have been allowed to propagate. Humans should never feel comfortable leaving their empathy/decency at the door in our interactions, not for groups they hate, and not for groups they wish to exploit value from. Cruelty is cruelty, and doing it to make moooaaaaaar money for yourself makes it significantly more damning, not less.

Empathy and decency are scarce precious commodities. But the ruthless predatory "thought leaders" have been in charge ever since we clubbed the last neanderthal.

"It Was Just Business" should be engraved on whatever memorial is left behind to mark our self-extinction.

I completely agree and have made similar points about that being our species' epitaph.

Star Trek TNG had it pretty right in terms of what's moral or what is desirable

greed coupled with high ambition is the biggest problem. neither on its own is as destructive