Debating College Students About AI Extinction
About this episode
Liron Shapira explores college students' perspectives on AI and the concept of an AI pause at UC Berkeley.
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 —…
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