This pushback seems quite surprising to me, since the same claims could be made for the internet, social media, YouTube, etc - the very technologies that put this group into power/wealth
My friends/family in India are far more pro-AI than friends in Silicon Valley / EU. And my artist friends seem to be more excited about it than my VC friends
I think subconsciously, a lot of people currently in power seem to be fearful - perhaps because their power/wealth/way of life will be threatened by a faster rate of change. While those in India seem to see universal translation / accessibility of global knowledge as an equalizing force
These are broad generalizations ofc. But it reminds me of the backlash against nuclear power (despite human life cost of oil/gas being way higher than nuclear) or the CEQA/environmental driven opposition to building more housing in California
I don’t know think individuals are ill intentioned in their focus on AI safety, but they sit in an echo chamber where this technology has more potential to harm them (they have a lot to lose) than benefit them (they are already at the top). So it’s natural to feel threatened and galvanize to slow down the rate of change
I tend to be quite dissatisfied by the current state of the world. Lots of violence (humans/animals), oppression, and gatekeeping of knowledge driven by our colonialist history. So I bias towards faster rate of change that could shift balance of power from western military-industrial complex to global south. AI excitement in global south excites me!