Palantir CTO Claims AI Researchers Smoke to Signal Faith in Cancer Cures
Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar claimed on CBS News that some AI researchers have started smoking to demonstrate their absolute belief that artificial intelligence will eventually cure cancer. Sankar used this anecdote to criticize what he called a 'mass psychosis' and 'social delusion' surrounding AI, arguing that Silicon Valley has filled a 'God-shaped hole' in human hearts with a quasi-religious faith in artificial general intelligence. He dismissed AI safety advocates as part of a 'millenarian doomsday cult' linked to effective altruism, asserting that their warnings are theological rather than scientific. Sankar argued that existing laws, such as FDA regulations and product liability frameworks, are sufficient to manage AI risks, rejecting the need for new, specific AI guardrails. He noted that while the U.S. is currently experiencing job growth in AI sectors, the industry must prove it delivers economic prosperity to the American public. The comments come amid a broader debate over AI governance, with Sankar defending the use of AI in military contexts and blaming human error for recent AI-related incidents, such as the Minab school strike in Iran.
