AI researchers in Silicon Valley have reportedly started smoking cigarettes to demonstrate their conviction that technology will soon cure cancer, despite the well-known health risks.
Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer at US software giant Palantir, highlighted the trend while speaking on CBS News programme Face the Nation. He explained that researchers are adopting the habit as a badge of honour.
A Strange Badge of Honour
"Many AI researchers have started smoking as a way to show others how strongly they believe in AI," Sankar said. "They want to demonstrate that they have bet everything on AI because they are convinced it can cure cancer."
Discussing their mindset, Sankar added: "(They say) 'I believe so much in AI that it's going to cure cancer. So I will - I'm showing you my chips are all in.'"
Tech Leaders Predict Medical Revolution
The trend comes as several major tech bosses have predicted a medical revolution powered by computers. Anthropic chief Dario Amodei previously claimed AI could wipe out most diseases, including cancers, within five to 15 years.
Meanwhile, Avi Schiffmann, founder of AI startup Friend, said: "By the time I get lung cancer, AI robots will already be able to cure cancer."
Sankar Criticises 'Mass Psychosis'
Sankar slammed the blind faith as a form of "mass psychosis" and a "social delusion", warning that some people now view Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) as a virtual deity.
"It is important to understand that many people developing this technology in Silicon Valley are filling an emptiness in their hearts with AGI, a machine god," he said.
Sankar also targeted extreme doom-mongers fighting over the technology's future. "So at first blush, this seems contradictory, but it has one thing in common, which is that you, as a human, have no agency," he added. "And I think it obfuscates the more profound reality that we have a huge amount of human agency over how we're going to use this technology to deliver the outcomes the American people expect."
Health Risks Remain
Health experts stress that smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide, with no scientific evidence showing AI can reverse the deadly damage caused by lighting up.
