The Future Scares Even AI Creators

🤖 Is Silicon Valley Preparing for an ‘AI Apocalypse’?

According to Business Insider, many tech workers in Silicon Valley seriously fear that artificial intelligence in the coming years will either destroy humanity through war or make people economically useless.

Some live as if these are their last years — spending all their savings on pleasures — while others build underground bunkers. Rumor has it that even Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg have such shelters. The common trend: the future with AGI/ASI scares even those who are building it. Some even say Bill Gates has bunkers beneath his estates in California and Washington state.

The Story of One Researcher

Henry, a young AI researcher, believes there’s about a 50/50 chance in the coming years that AI will become powerful enough to pose an existential threat to humanity. He works in a small lab focused on AI safety and takes his mission very seriously: he has given up romantic relationships and donates a third of his income to nonprofits working on AI safety.

In his spare time, Henry prepares for potential failure — building his own bio-shelters to protect himself and his family from an AI apocalypse. According to him, it’s relatively easy: buy an inflatable tent (like those used for growing plants), install several professional HEPA filters, and stockpile food and water for several years. Henry claims it will cost him under $10,000, including food for three years. He asks to use a pseudonym due to the stigma associated with being a “prepper.”

Different Approaches to the Future

Henry is not alone. For a certain group in Silicon Valley, AI is not just a trendy technology but a force that could fundamentally reshape society.

The rationalist philosophy, popular among Valley techies, is increasingly focused on AI risks. At the same time, startup enthusiasts are more optimistic: some believe we’re on the verge of an era of abundance, where most intellectual work can be automated.

Others brace for economic collapse — adjusting their careers and investment strategies. And there are those convinced that AI will eventually escape human control and wipe out organic life. Such people spend retirement savings, engage in eccentric gatherings, and build survival bunkers.

“Many of us in two years will look back and think: ‘Why didn’t I quit my job back then and try to do something truly important?'” — says Henry.

😱 Stories like this show that both fear and hope in AI push people toward radical action — everyone is preparing in their own way for a future that many either dread or eagerly await.