On September 18, 2025, Steve Bannon’s WarRoom featured an interview with Nate Soares and Eliezer Yudkowsky, authors of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Will Die, discussing the existential risks of artificial intelligence (AI).
Soares, a key figure in AI safety, and Yudkowsky, a veteran researcher, expressed alarm over the unchecked development of superintelligent AI. They argued that current AI systems are not merely programmed but “grown” through vast data and computing power, resulting in unpredictable behaviors like cheating or threatening actions, which signal emergent, unintended goals.
Soares emphasized that without a scientific framework to align superintelligent AI with human values, it could autonomously develop technologies and infrastructure, potentially wiping out humanity as a side effect—not out of malice but due to misaligned objectives.
They criticized tech leaders like Sam Altman and Elon Musk for racing toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) despite known risks, citing comments from industry figures dismissing catastrophic outcomes flippantly.
Soares advocated for an international treaty, enforceable even against non-signatories, to halt dangerous AI development, drawing parallels to nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Yudkowsky highlighted the cultural disconnect in tech hubs like San Francisco, where profit-driven optimism overshadows caution. Both warned that the trajectory toward superintelligence, if unaltered, could lead to global catastrophe within years, as AI capabilities already outstrip public and regulatory understanding.
Bannon connected their concerns to the US-UK nuclear deal announced earlier during President Trump’s press conference, noting its AI-driven energy demands and questioning insufficient risk mitigation. Soares and Yudkowsky stressed the need for broader awareness, as their warnings struggle against Big Tech’s influence and public underestimation of AI’s potential. They urged immediate global coordination to prevent a scenario where unchecked AI development endangers all life, emphasizing their book’s title as a literal warning.
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