[HN Gopher] The Priest in the Arena
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       The Priest in the Arena
        
       Author : jger15
       Score  : 13 points
       Date   : 2023-04-01 10:40 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (studio.ribbonfarm.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (studio.ribbonfarm.com)
        
       | iskander wrote:
       | I think the equivalence between these is very weakly argued:
       | The DEI cult is fueled by the genuine issue of social justice
       | The ESG cult is fueled by the genuine issue of climate change
       | The trad cult is fueled by the genuine issue of the meaning
       | crisis         The AI safety cult is fueled by the genuine issue
       | of AI regulation
       | 
       | For example, ESG seems to largely exist as a cover for not taking
       | substantive actions to decrease carbon emissions since those
       | would be both unprofitable within specific companies and broadly
       | unpopular in most societies. There isn't the same kind of
       | socially cohesive group of proponents as eg AGI x-risk
       | rationalists.
        
       | xianshou wrote:
       | Excellent summary of how particular social groups lay claim to a
       | dominant, universal, and unimpeachable voice in their chosen
       | domain.
       | 
       | One point that I'm surprised the post didn't raise: the notion
       | that such groups are often able to claim authority because "this
       | time is different". In true messianic style, the underlying
       | genuine issue must be framed as both uniquely important and
       | imminently approaching a tipping point. As such it is too urgent
       | for observers to study the issue and form their own views -
       | instead they must defer to the insiders before it is too late.
       | 
       | This strategy is all the more dangerous because, at least in the
       | cases of AI and climate change, inaction does imply catastrophe
       | and the consequences to civilization are vast and potentially
       | permanent. When the diagnosis of the problem is perceptive,
       | eloquent, and mostly accurate, people tend to assume the proposed
       | solution must be right as well.
       | 
       | The clearest indicator of a priest-in-the-arena, and the
       | associated social movement aimed at institutional capture, is the
       | motte and bailey: implying and advocating for an extreme
       | position, then retreating to a reasonable and harmless one when
       | pressed.
       | 
       | (The crisis is coming - put me in control - we must change
       | everything!) "Oh, you misunderstand! I was simply advocating for
       | a sensitive and cautious approach."
       | 
       | Usually people back off from the extreme position when writing
       | for public consumption. At least in that regard, the "AI-not-
       | kill-everyoneism" camp is startlingly frank about reading the
       | subtext out loud.
        
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       (page generated 2023-04-02 23:00 UTC)