Anyone else really triggered by this AI researcher coming out and saying he thinks AI will kill us all by the end of the decade? Not sure how we’re supposed to process something like this or just move on from it
You know what guys, after posting this I came to my senses. From an OCD perspective, and even just a human perspective, worrying or obsessing about this isn’t my responsibility or within my control. There’s nothing I can do to prevent these things. It feels urgent and like it demands action - but at what cost? I cannot control things that happen on a macro world level. All I can control is my behavior and my inner world. Maybe this will happen, maybe humanity will end, maybe it won’t. All I know is I don’t want to live my remaining years in an OCD spiral, in an attempt to seek 100% safety and certainty that isn’t attainable. I always think OCD and ERP only apply to “irrational” concerns, not real threats, but thats incorrect. Unless there is a realistic actionable thing we can do, then all we can do is use our ERP skills. I’m going to try to just say “la dee da” and move on. Do some exposures, try to desensitize myself, even though it feels counterintuitive. Hopefully those in charge and with influence can help us existentially and make the policy changes that need to be made, but me ruminating and doing compulsions is not something that will really help.
I actually really like the realization you came to here, especially the part about ERP not only applying when a fear is “irrational.” I think that can be such an easy loophole for OCD, like “okay but THIS one is different because there’s technically a possibility.” There are so many genuinely possible bad things in life, but we still can’t spend our lives researching, checking, ruminating, or trying to get enough information to finally feel certain. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t. We still have to live in the meantime. I think you catching yourself wanting to solve something that you realistically cannot solve is huge. ❤️
@Rumination_Station Thanks so much for the reply! I totally agree. OCD is so tricky and loves to try to sneak back in with a “but THIS time..”. It still reels me in nearly a decade later. I wanted to write out my process I went through after here in case it helps anyone. We might still stumble and fall, thats okay. What matters most is how quick we can pick ourselves back up and continue on a path of recovery and ERP. Thanks for the encouragement and I hope you’re well!
I need to remember that I have OCD. It’s a lot easier for those without it to hear these things and just move on. For me, I need to be more cautious and aware of my thoughts and behaviors after. Maybe society moves on too easy for our own good, but again, for me, even though it sounds disempowering, I simply cannot fix an issue like this.
It's just one guy, and even he said the chances of this were only10 percent. So I think it's good to keep this kind of thing in perspective ...
in the same boat here and it’s been my biggest obsession for the past 9 days… i keep telling myself that as you said, no point in worrying about things that we have no control over
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
