How Sam Harris Annoyed Marc Andreessen Debating Sci-Fi AI

Harris debated Andreessen on "superintelligence" on his Making Sense podcast. Andreessen, a former engineer, made much more sense.

Hi Everyone,

I listen to Sam Harris’s podcast Making Sense regularly, and though I disagree with Harris on many points, I find he’s an interesting public intellectual and an effective voice for often contrarian ideas. To put it bluntly, he seems like a smart and knowledgeable guy, and to boot he’s a very good writer (he just launched a Substack, by the way). This said, I find his views on AI silly to the point of being almost childish. He gave a much viewed TED talk in 2016 where he may as well have given a reading of Nick Bostrom’s 2014 book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Bostrom’s book is pure science fiction, brimming with unfounded assumptions and dubious predictions. As a speaker—I heard him speak in 2015 in Seattle—he’s aloof and slightly condescending. Harris on the other hand exudes enthusiasm and has polished his worries about superintelligent AI into a fine sheen of tantalizing scenarios where the machines always take over. He’s fond of comparing us to insects or other simpler species when considering the coming omni-powerful AI. Enter Andreessen.