I read with interest a new piece on AI risks by RETURN contributor Jon Askonas and economist Samuel Hammond. It’s a sensible counter to some of the AI doomer alarmism that’s currently fashionable, and I endorse its general approach to the big questions, i.e., focus on risks that are foreseeable and manageable, and don’t let outsized fears of an AI apocalypse drive you endorse the construction a global, anti-AI Leviathan.
But when it comes to some of the authors’ recommendations for managing the risks we all know are there — specifically around the ability of large language models to greatly increase the volume and effectiveness of spam, phishing attempts, and disinformation campaigns — I have objections.
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