Debating College Students About AI Extinction
Show notes
College students are so angry about AI that they booed its very mention at 2026 commencement ceremonies. So why aren’t they rallying behind PauseAI? I went back to my alma mater, UC Berkeley, to find out.
I spoke with students studying philosophy, economics, and physics, as well as everyday folks visiting campus.
My interviewees were aware of AI’s rapidly growing capabilities. When pressed, some would even agree with me on the conceptual benefits of an AI pause. But the sense of urgency was missing.
Timestamps
00:00:00 — Cold Open
00:00:31 — Why I Returned to UC Berkeley
00:02:08 — Jack: Chinese Room Argument
00:03:23 — Richard: “Who Would Build That?”
00:03:54 — Karthik: An Economist’s Lens
00:05:20 — Jack: The Politics Are Unclear
00:06:10 — Yvonne: Why Powerful AI is Risky
00:07:06 — Robin: Doom Is the Wrong Priority
00:10:36 — Dexter: Sam Altman’s Motive
00:10:57 — Christine: AI Is Just a Tool
00:12:32 — What’s Your P(Doom)™
00:13:19 — Jackson: Supporting a PauseAI Treaty
00:14:19 — Why Cal Students Don’t Take AI X-Risk Seriously
00:15:19 — Rachel: Humans Are Irreplaceable
00:16:14 — Two Hours Later
00:16:35 — Wrap-Up
Links
Join the Doom Debates Discord — https://discord.gg/j4zQ8UaQw2
PauseAI — https://pauseai.info/
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