Jargon:Doomer
1 min read
Say this at the party
“A doomer is someone who thinks advanced AI has a real chance of going catastrophically wrong for humanity, and wants us to slow down or stop.”
In plain English
Doomers believe that if we build AI much smarter than us before we know how to control it, things could go very badly, even to the point of human extinction.
Views range widely. Some put the chance at a few per cent and want careful rules. Others think it's very likely and want building to stop. People often share their guess as a number called "p(doom)".
Critics say these fears distract from present-day AI harms, or overrate how close powerful AI is. The opposite camp is often called accelerationists.
Where it came from
The label took off around 2023, after the release of GPT-4, when leading AI researchers signed a one-line statement saying the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority. Many people given the label prefer terms like "AI safety" or "AI risk".
See it in action
At dinner, Leah says her p(doom) is 10%. Her brother asks what that means, and she explains she thinks there's a one-in-ten chance advanced AI ends very badly, so she backs stricter safety rules.
What people get wrong
- Doomers aren't anti-technology in general. Many work in AI and love it. They worry about one specific kind of very powerful system.
- It's often used as an insult. Many people with these concerns don't call themselves doomers.
Go deeper
- ArticleWikipediaP(doom)Explains the "p(doom)" number doomers and others use, where it came from, and its critics.
- PostCenter for AI Safety, 2023Statement on AI Extinction RiskThe one-sentence 2023 statement on AI extinction risk signed by many leading researchers.
- ArticleAlex Wilhelm, TechCrunch, 2023Effective accelerationism, doomers, decels, and how to flaunt your AI priorsA handy map of the AI camps, from doomers to accelerationists.
- BookWikipedia, on Yudkowsky and Soares, 2025If Anyone Builds It, Everyone DiesAbout the 2025 bestseller that makes the strongest doomer case, with its reception.
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