A profound philosophical confrontation took place between two influential figures: David Sacks, AI and Crypto Advisor to the White House, and Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, revolving around the pressing question of why Western public trust in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is alarmingly declining. The debate not only focused on data analysis but also touched on the essence of technological development and economic power.
Mr. #DavidSacks initiated the discussion by citing the latest global statistical data, showing a stark difference in perception between regions. Specifically, 83% of Chinese people express the belief that AI will bring more benefits than harm. Meanwhile, this figure in the United States has dropped to only 39%, a significant level of pessimism. Sacks does not believe this pessimism is a natural phenomenon; instead, he strongly claims it is the result of a staged campaign. In Sacks' view, a small group of billionaires from the "Effective Altruism" (EA) movement is funding a large amount of cash for research projects on "AI safety" and related propaganda activities. He uses harsh terms to describe this activity: these billionaires are "buying the public's fear with propaganda money."
The core argument of David Sacks is that the "fear of AI" story is being skillfully exploited by large corporations to consolidate market power and business monopolies. By promoting a climate of fear about existential risks and the potential dangers of AI, these corporations have shaped the rules of the game and legal regulations in ways that benefit them, creating enormous administrative barriers and compliance costs that smaller competitors cannot overcome. The ultimate goal, according to Sacks, is to position themselves as the "only trusted entity" to develop AI safely and responsibly. Essentially, fear is being weaponized to eliminate competition and concentrate business power into the hands of a few.
However, #VitalikButerin immediately rebutted this argument, stating that it oversimplified the complex motivations behind public skepticism toward technology. Vitalik argued that caution toward advanced technology is neither a novel phenomenon nor exclusive to AI. To illustrate his point, Vitalik shared data from the Pew Research Center, indicating that the public also expresses similar caution toward gene editing technology, a field not directly influenced by or heavily funded by billionaires from the EA movement. According to the founder of Ethereum, fear and skepticism toward new technology often stem from the inherent nature of humanity, deep concerns about ethical, moral factors, and fundamental societal changes, rather than being merely the result of media campaigns or elite manipulation.
David Sacks quickly countered, arguing that Vitalik's example of gene editing is not entirely fitting. He explained that the American public still shows strong support for the use of gene editing technology when the purpose is to treat serious or life-threatening diseases. However, they vehemently oppose the use of this technology to "design humans" according to desired traits, a critical ethical distinction. Sacks concluded that concerns about AI follow a similar pattern: the public is worried not because AI exists, but because it could be misused to change society in irreversible ways, a fear that corporations are deliberately inflating.
This debate, starting from purely statistical figures, has turned into a profound philosophical conflict between two opposing viewpoints: one side believes that pessimism about AI is a deliberately created product by billionaires to achieve business benefits and consolidate power; and the other sees it as a natural and reasonable response of human nature to the rapid pace of development and the potential power of a technology that could completely change the world.
