Behind the Blog: How to Talk About AI Doom

News about AI safety and existential risk will be more accessible and nuanced.

404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler announced the publication will begin covering the potential risks and existential threats posed by Artificial Intelligence, a topic they have previously avoided. This pivot comes after a week of increased public and personal inquiries about "AI doom" scenarios, highlighted by viral tweets from Anthropic and discussions at a joint event with The Intercept. While acknowledging the "doom stuff" can be marketing for AI companies and disagreeing with the idea of AI imminently causing human extinction, Koebler emphasized that human misuse and mismanagement of AI are already causing negative outcomes and will likely worsen. The publication plans to intelligently enter this conversation, moving beyond reporting on AI's immediate societal impacts to address broader existential and misuse concerns, with an upcoming article on AI agents planned.

The decision by 404 Media to address "AI doom" signifies a broader industry shift, moving beyond immediate AI impacts to grapple with potential future risks. This move acknowledges a growing public and expert concern that the publication previously sidelined, suggesting a maturation in how AI's societal implications are being discussed.

By focusing on human error and mismanagement as key drivers of AI-related problems, 404 Media aims to offer a more grounded perspective than purely speculative existential threats. This approach allows for the exploration of current negative outcomes and their potential escalation, providing a more actionable area for public and policy discussion.