Max Read

Everybody involved here will get a trial. Everybody involved here who wants a lawyer will get a lawyer. These folks will go through the justice system. But I wonder, given your reporting, if you have a sense of how much of this is Ziz? Was Ziz calling the shots? Was Ziz ordering her followers to do these things?

That's a great question. I mean, it's something that I think is going to be incredibly interesting to follow in court. Based on chat transcripts and blog posts that we've seen, I think Ziz has a particular style of pressure that isn't precisely orders. This is not a cult in the sense of, it's not like the mafia, right, where there's a boss who's giving direct commands.

That's a great question. I mean, it's something that I think is going to be incredibly interesting to follow in court. Based on chat transcripts and blog posts that we've seen, I think Ziz has a particular style of pressure that isn't precisely orders. This is not a cult in the sense of, it's not like the mafia, right, where there's a boss who's giving direct commands.

That's a great question. I mean, it's something that I think is going to be incredibly interesting to follow in court. Based on chat transcripts and blog posts that we've seen, I think Ziz has a particular style of pressure that isn't precisely orders. This is not a cult in the sense of, it's not like the mafia, right, where there's a boss who's giving direct commands.

I think that Ziz cultivates a sense of moral or even existential importance to the beliefs of the group and then puts people in a position to... Right.

I think that Ziz cultivates a sense of moral or even existential importance to the beliefs of the group and then puts people in a position to... Right.

I think that Ziz cultivates a sense of moral or even existential importance to the beliefs of the group and then puts people in a position to... Right.

respect and follow and whose teachings are, you know, sort of divinely inspired, it's much more a case of an extremely charismatic person who is able to talk people into things without necessarily needing to create a kind of church or, again, hierarchical structure of power that people would follow, if that distinction makes sense.

respect and follow and whose teachings are, you know, sort of divinely inspired, it's much more a case of an extremely charismatic person who is able to talk people into things without necessarily needing to create a kind of church or, again, hierarchical structure of power that people would follow, if that distinction makes sense.

respect and follow and whose teachings are, you know, sort of divinely inspired, it's much more a case of an extremely charismatic person who is able to talk people into things without necessarily needing to create a kind of church or, again, hierarchical structure of power that people would follow, if that distinction makes sense.

So let's position these people, the Zizians, within the times in which we live. Because, yes, every age has its cults and every cult has its reasons. And some of those reasons are genuinely interesting and they often fit the times in which they live. Even five years ago, these worries about artificial intelligence seemed very far away.

So let's position these people, the Zizians, within the times in which we live. Because, yes, every age has its cults and every cult has its reasons. And some of those reasons are genuinely interesting and they often fit the times in which they live. Even five years ago, these worries about artificial intelligence seemed very far away.

So let's position these people, the Zizians, within the times in which we live. Because, yes, every age has its cults and every cult has its reasons. And some of those reasons are genuinely interesting and they often fit the times in which they live. Even five years ago, these worries about artificial intelligence seemed very far away.

When the rationalists got started with their thought experiments, you could look at this and say, oh, my God, you guys, it's years in the future. Stop freaking out. But in the last 30 months, we've seen major developments and improvements in AI. And we now appear to be barreling toward a future that these folks were really worried about.

When the rationalists got started with their thought experiments, you could look at this and say, oh, my God, you guys, it's years in the future. Stop freaking out. But in the last 30 months, we've seen major developments and improvements in AI. And we now appear to be barreling toward a future that these folks were really worried about.

When the rationalists got started with their thought experiments, you could look at this and say, oh, my God, you guys, it's years in the future. Stop freaking out. But in the last 30 months, we've seen major developments and improvements in AI. And we now appear to be barreling toward a future that these folks were really worried about.

Do you think it was the times in which we live that made the Zizians?

Do you think it was the times in which we live that made the Zizians?

Do you think it was the times in which we live that made the Zizians?

Yeah, you know, we've been cultivating a sense of danger about AI for the last two or three decades. The rationalists themselves have been cultivating this sense. AI researchers, whether or not they're influenced by rationalists, have been cultivating this sense of danger.