Debating College Students About AI Extinction

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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