The AI Dilemma
A Turning Point for Public Awareness
In the spring of 2023, as generative AI exploded onto the scene, AI industry insiders approached Center for Humane Technology with concerns.
CHT had spent years analyzing how technology's incentive structures shape tech design, human behavior, and societal outcomes. We recognized familiar patterns in AI development: exponential capability growth outpacing our ability to steer it, competitive pressures, and business models exploiting human vulnerabilities at a potentially unprecedented scale.
"The AI Dilemma" synthesized these insights, connecting the lessons from social media's harms to the emerging AI landscape and identifying what was at stake if we didn't change course.
"The AI Dilemma" raised awareness, sparked new discourse, and catalyzed action. Since its launch, it has:
Reached 3.6 million views, becoming one of the most watched presentations on AI risks
Informed policy discussions at the highest levels, including briefings to governors and their offices.
Shaped the conversation, introducing concepts like "the AI race" and "systemic vulnerabilities" into mainstream conversation.
Mobilized the tech community, galvanizing internal safety teams to push harder on the need for safety.
Since our founding, CHT has focused on how incentives in the tech industry drive dangerous product design, fuel races for market dominance, and lead to negative consequences in society. “The AI Dilemma” demonstrated our continued ability to see around corners—to identify emerging challenges before they become crises, and articulate them in ways that move people from paralysis to action.
