Joshua Clymer is a sophomore at Columbia University majoring in math and computer science. Last fall he decided to take a gap year. I don’t think he will come back.
As he told a former classmate, he doesn’t quite get the point. “Just last week, I asked a friend, ‘What the hell are you doing? Have you seen GPT-4? Computers?
Clymer is spending part of his gap year at the Center for AI Safety. This is a non-profit that seeks to address classic nightmare artificial intelligence scenarios such as AI-enabled weapons, true death, and more.
Annihilation aside, Clymer believes it is very likely that most jobs will be replaced by AI in the next 20 years.
So why would he waste another two years getting his diploma? You can — and while the job still exists.
“Get a degree. Ten years ago, even five years ago, this is good advice. And we’re just living in a different world now,” Clymer said.
Since ChatGPT debuted last year, AI is often compared to other innovative technologies such as social media, the internet, and the printing press. It might seem like a bit of a stretch, but some in the AI industry are already gearing up for a radically different world and economy than you’re used to.
Clymer’s officemate at the Center for AI Safety, a computer science major at Stanford University, left the program because of the rapid development of AI.
The early 21st century career arc of getting a computer science degree from a good school and a well-paid job at Google, Meta, or another big tech company? yeah. Dan Hendrycks, director of the Center for AI Safety, says computer science students are already looking at what ChatGPT can do with programming languages, and they’re seeing what’s written on the wall: coding.
AI’s large language model “learned a lot of the basics of coding,” Hendrycks says. I think as the years go by they might be at the level of junior employees in coding. “
Hendricks is in his late twenties. He doesn’t think there is or will ever be an army of Terminators.
But he wants to be financially prepared in the event of an AI-powered armed conflict or other disaster. Also, none of Vanguard’s funds target the Singularity as a retirement date. I mean, he hasn’t put money in his 401(k).
“I think there’s a pretty good chance there’s going to be a catastrophic risk in the longer time frame,” Hendricks said. “And I don’t want that. [money] Not accessible. I would like it to be more fluid. ”
For true believers in AI, money matters are a big deal. Are you saving as much as you can now to prepare for widespread unemployment or worse? Or are you spending more now because you want to enjoy your income while it lasts?
“I’m usually on the more frugal, conservative financial side. I’ve been budgeting my whole life and was like, ‘No, I’m going to take a very expensive extra vacation this year.’ said Sharon Korinek.
Mr. Korinek previously worked as a chief financial officer at a private company, but never returned to an office job. Her husband, Anton, agrees. He is an economist at the University of Virginia who studies artificial intelligence and airs his views on his Marketplace Tech.
One of the reasons the Corinexes are able to fund that extra vacation is because they aren’t saving for a very expensive future item.
“I’ve had so many discussions about this. I’m like, ‘My kids aren’t going to college,'” Sharon said. “Most people look at us like we’re crazy.”
Sharon and Anton have two children, ages 8 and 6. Given that they envision a future where AI is smarter than most humans, the idea of opening a 529 college savings plan feels silly.
To be clear, everyone who thinks the AI revolution I’m talking about is coming admits that they could be wrong. This includes Josh Clymer, a likely Columbia dropout. But whether the apocalypse is near or not, he said, it does no one any good to be fatalistic about it.
“I feel like the doctor diagnosed me. If that’s true, I don’t want to be [jerk]I want to go home and hug my parents. ”
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