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This topic examines how humanity should approach the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems. Dario Amodei's essay argues that we are entering a "technological adolescence": a critical period where powerful AI could arrive within years, presenting existential risks that require a pragmatic "battle plan" combining technical safety research, transparency legislation, and international coordination.
Why this matters for Danish AI policy: Denmark must decide how to position itself in international AI safety governance. Should it prioritize EU coordination, transatlantic cooperation, or develop independent safety frameworks?
Required Reading
Sections to Focus On
- Introduction through "Powerful AI" definition (~2,500–3,000 words)
- "Player Piano" section (~3,500–4,000 words)
- "Humanity's test" conclusion (~1,000–1,500 words)
Author
CEO and co-founder of Anthropic. PhD in physics from Princeton. Former VP of Research at OpenAI. Pioneer of AI scaling laws research.
Supplementary Materials
- Zvi Mowshowitz analysis (54 min podcast). Also on Substack.
- "Machines of Loving Grace" (Amodei, 2024). Earlier essay on AI benefits.
- Anthropic's Constitutional AI paper. Technical safety background.
Guiding Questions
- Risk assessment: Amodei identifies five categories of existential risk. Which are most relevant for Denmark? Are there Denmark-specific risks he doesn't address?
- Governance mechanisms: The essay proposes Constitutional AI, interpretability research, and transparency legislation. How well do these map to EU frameworks like the AI Act?
- Timeline uncertainty: Amodei suggests powerful AI could arrive within "one to two years." How should Danish policymakers plan under such uncertainty?
- Small state strategy: Denmark cannot unilaterally shape AI development. What role can a small democracy play in international AI safety governance?
- Critique: Some argue Amodei's framing overstates near-term risks to justify Anthropic's business model. How should policymakers weigh arguments from industry insiders?
Presentation Angle Ideas
- "Denmark as AI Safety Laboratory": Denmark should position itself as a testing ground for AI safety governance, leveraging strong institutions and small scale to pilot approaches.
- "Beyond Doom and Optimism": Evaluate Amodei's claim that both "naive optimism" and "paralyzed doomerism" are failures. What's pragmatic Danish policy?
- "The Timeline Question": Should Denmark's policy assume rapid AI progress or slower progress?
- "Coordinating with the EU": How can Denmark work within EU structures while engaging with US-led AI safety initiatives?