I Challenged DON’T LOOK UP’s Screenwriter to Look Up At AGI

David Sirota helped create “Don’t Look Up” sometimes feels like we’re living inside his movie. Does he share my belief that the looming planetary threat is rogue AI?

Sirota is an award-winning investigative journalist, bestselling author, and former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders. He was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing the story of Don’t Look Up.

Find our more about David’s work at The Lever: https://www.levernews.com/

Timestamps

00:00:00 — Cold Open

00:01:20 — Introducing David Sirota

00:04:34 — Why David Fights Against Power and the Concentration of Power

00:13:46 — From NAFTA to AI: The Warnings We Ignored

00:22:05 — How Big Will the AI “Jobpocalypse” Be?

00:25:28 — Superintelligence & the Parallel to Don’t Look Up

00:28:37 — What’s Your P(Doom)™?

00:31:44 — The Speed of the AI Threat

00:36:26 — Society Is Losing a Collective Capacity to Focus

00:38:34 — Is Climate Change David’s Biggest Existential Concern?

00:45:01 — David Reacts to Bernie Sanders’ Data Center Moratorium Proposal

00:49:11 — Can We Build The “Off Button”?

00:52:08 — “Don’t Look Up” x AGI Mashup

00:54:35 — Why There’s Still Hope

00:58:14 — Living in “Don’t Look Up”

00:59:46 — Wrap-Up: Where to Follow Major AI News

Links

Watch Don't Look Up — https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81252357

The Lever, investigative news outlet — https://www.levernews.com/

David Sirota on X — https://x.com/davidsirota

David Sirota, Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sirota

Master Plan podcast — https://the.levernews.com/master-plan/

David Sirota, “Hostile Takeover” on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Hostile-Takeover-Corruption-Conquered-Government/dp/0307237354

The Three-Body Problem (novel), Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three-Body_Problem_(novel)

WarGames (1983 film), Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WarGames

Adam McKay, Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_McKay

Watch Don’t Look Up — https://www.netflix.com/title/81252357

AI 2027 scenario — https://ai-2027.com/

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