Jargon:Accelerationist (e/acc)
Say it: ee-ACK · 1 min read
Say this at the party
“An accelerationist believes the best way to a better future is to build AI and other tech faster, not slow it down. Online they often write "e/acc".”
In plain English
Accelerationists think technology, especially AI, is the main engine of human progress. Faster building means more cures, more wealth and more abundance.
They tend to distrust heavy regulation and see calls to slow down as the real danger. Their opposite camp is usually called doomers, and people wanting to slow AI are sometimes nicknamed "decels".
Critics say the movement waves away real risks and suits tech investors a little too well.
Where it came from
"Effective accelerationism" (e/acc) started in 2022 as a play on "effective altruism". It was launched by pseudonymous accounts on X, including @BasedBeffJezos, later revealed by Forbes to be physicist Guillaume Verdon. Marc Andreessen's "Techno-Optimist Manifesto" (October 2023) shares many of its ideas.
See it in action
A founder adds "e/acc" to her X profile. It tells others she thinks AI should be built quickly and openly, and that she's not a fan of new rules to slow it.
What people get wrong
- It isn't the same as the older philosophy called accelerationism, though it borrows from it. E/acc is mainly about tech and markets.
- Not every fan of fast AI progress signs up to the whole movement. Plenty of people want rapid progress and sensible safety rules.
Go deeper
- ArticleWikipediaEffective accelerationismOrigins, key figures and the main criticisms of the e/acc movement.
- PostMarc Andreessen, a16z, 2023The Techno-Optimist Manifesto | Andreessen HorowitzThe best-known statement of the pro-acceleration view, in its own words.
- ArticleAlex Wilhelm, TechCrunch, 2023Effective accelerationism, doomers, decels, and how to flaunt your AI priorsA plain map of where e/acc sits next to doomers and decels.
Related jargon
Drafted with AI. The AI Council (Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini) gave counsel. Phin signed it off.