AI researchers are taking up smoking because they expect AI to cure cancer, says Palantir CTO

2 days ago by Sonnenblume to c/techtakes

Some AI believers expect the technology to make smoking-related health risks like cancer a thing of the past, Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar said.
ICastFist 77 points 2 days ago

Sankar did not name any researchers or provide evidence for the claim.

I wonder why...

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schmorpel 38 points 2 days ago

Next please jump off a cliff after uploading your mind into the machine. Thank you!

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TropicalDingdong 17 points 2 days ago

C suite personal at AI companies have taken up smoking crack because.. well...

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fullsquare 5 points 2 days ago

some of that crowd already microdosed meth

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istewart 5 points 2 days ago

"Micro"?

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fullsquare 8 points 2 days ago

there was a thread there on rationalists microdosing meth for "cognitive improvement" reasons

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istewart 6 points 2 days ago

I remember coming across an HN comment a couple years ago from a guy rambling on about how he had a connection for pure uncut cartel meth and consumed mass quantities, and how great it was for his ADHD. I should have bookmarked or screenshotted it.

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rhamph 3 points a day ago

microdosing (n) – Taking small amounts of illegal drugs while white. It may be possible to microdose without writing a book or personal essay about it, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

https://www.theguardian.com/...

(I don’t remember ‘small amounts of’ in there; somewhat diminishes the joke IMHO)

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dgerard 3 points a day ago

macro-microdosing

Silicon Valley makes a lot more sense if you first assume everyone rich is off their fucking tree

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BioMan 17 points a day ago

One of the strongest predictors of the cohesion of a religious movement is costly signaling by which people give things up in a highly visible, credible way for the cause, or in a way that only makes sense if they believe in the cause. Deconversion is highly correlated with not witnessing these credible displays.

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Pratai 14 points 2 days ago

LMAO… no they’re not.

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fullsquare 12 points a day ago

okay but there's no way lung cancer catches up to them before incoming ai winter will

i also like how they're not even considering that "there is no meaningful improvement" might be an option

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reksas 1 point a day ago

but if there is no meaningful improvement then their lifes purpose is null so they couldnt possibly even consider that as an option. Thems going to get on early on the NEXT BIG THING and make MONEY!! And they have also committed so much is nothing left for them if they back out so might as well live in psychosisland completely.

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fullsquare 1 point a day ago

oh no no no that there will be revolutionary machine god made by them is basically their religious dogma

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Anon7394 11 points 2 days ago

Real talk, I would love to smoke without worrying about cancer.

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CluckN 9 points a day ago

With the power of denial you can!

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e8d79 8 points 2 days ago

If cancer was the only one drawback it wouldn't even be that bad. In addition to cancer, it makes you smell like an ashtray, gives you really bad skin, and its even a cause for erectile dysfunction. There are better drugs to get addicted to.

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cstross 5 points a day ago

@e8d79 A major cause of mortality from cigarette smoking is COPD/cardiovascular disease—strokes and heart attacks skyrocket over time, and you'll end up shuffling around wheezing into an oxygen mask if you keep it up. Not to mention the leg ulcers and pressure sores. It's like an all-in-one package of "this will fuck you up"!

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mawhrin 1 point a day ago

i might be mistaken, but i have a vague memory that combining smoking and drinking does a real number on severity of one's atherosclerosis

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schnoopy 2 points a day ago

If we find a way to smoke without damaging the lungs I'm taking it up again.

I don't miss being out of breath all the time and generally antsy when shut inside but fuck me but nothing compares the sublime joy of stepping out of some bullshit to drag on a durry.

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gerikson 10 points a day ago

skinny nerd enters a bar, lights up and is thrown out

blog post appears: "yet another blatant attempt to deny white men sex"

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froztbyte 10 points 2 days ago path: 0 26302415, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 0
kibiz0r 9 points 2 days ago

I mean, Palantir has Zyn vending machines, so this isn’t much of a stretch I guess?

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terranoid 3 points 2 days ago

Jesus, they would

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lurker 9 points 2 days ago path: 0 26304254, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0
BaraCoded 8 points 2 days ago

Shhhh.... Let them...

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grrgyle 7 points a day ago

*Cancers. We would have to cure many cancers. Smoking increases your risk of cancer beyond just throat and lunch cancers.

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Rcklsabndn 5 points a day ago

*lunch cancers

So they're going after Arby's and Subway as well?

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maol 5 points 16 hours ago

Real EA thinking there. Using spurious logic to provide a rational-sounding explanation for doing something bad you wanted to do anyway.

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auzy1 4 points 16 hours ago

There's a reason he can't name any. Someone probably joked about it, and he thought it would be a good story to increase his shares in tobacco companies and AI

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bold_omi 4 points 21 hours ago

Darwin Awards, here we come.

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CinnasVerses 4 points a day ago

Fires a burst from the Sten gun into the ceiling I thought you Libertarian bleepers were scared of moral hazards like making people wear seatbelts so they don't squish their pea brains in a car crash?

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schnoopy 4 points a day ago

big if true.

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CarpalTunnelButt 3 points 21 hours ago

Honestly, they should just do fentanyl instead and put their full faith in AI happening faster and more meaningfully than it really is.

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Architeuthis 3 points a day ago

segyges already trying to launder the unhinged out of the our chatbot will be curing cancer any minute now new round of claims by framing widespread resentment against AI as "curing cancer is less important than my job satisfaction".

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grrgyle 3 points a day ago

So use it to cure cancer. Don't put a button in the email client that makes shit up for people.

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flowerysong 3 points a day ago

Just one more round of improving the models and I'm sure they'll start being useful for science. Just one more round...

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UltraGiGaGigantic 2 points a day ago

Our economy is fully intertwined with these people. They will crush us and demand to be spared from the consequences they wrought.

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grrgyle 2 points a day ago

rorschach character face closeup

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Quexotic 2 points 13 hours ago

huh. not the onion. satire is dead.

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BarneyPiccolo 2 points a day ago

Liar

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aninjury2all 2 points 4 hours ago

No it's true and the post was fact-checked by REAL luddite patriots ✅

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itsjustachairmary 1 point 16 hours ago

Finally some good fucking news. You know. They should be smoking 6 packs a day. Really gets the juices flowing. Gets your brain working at 600% efficiency. Running out of energy? Eat pure, raw Radium. Digest it. Make sure to snort some lead while you're at it. Blocks negative pathways in your brains. And what's a sandwich without some good old Americium. We're all patriots here right.

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theodoraward 1 point 19 hours ago

at least smoking is social

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