HACKER Q&A
📣 jdmoreira

Do you also feel anxiety about AI, escalation of wars, etc.


I've been experiencing elevated levels of anxiety and, to some extent, fear. I try really hard not to doomscroll, but I do consume quite a few podcasts and I read HN all the time.

While I'm optimistic about technology and human beings in general, I'm quite worried. I have a small child and am entering my forties. I've never felt so uncertain about the future as I do now. If I were childless, I wouldn't care as much, to be honest. I used to be fearless, but now I have so much to lose.

I would say I'm mostly anxious about the fast-paced development of AI and/or the potential for another world war.

With regards to AI, I'm definitely excited about it on a technical level. I tinker with LLMs for fun and try to use them frequently. I love the tech, but what worries me are all the higher-order effects on society if I extrapolate just a few years ahead.

Also, humans have always had the monopoly on intelligence. What does it even mean to be a human when we don't? Why would we need 7 billion of us in the here and now? Who gets to prosper... all?

I don't read the news, so I don't even keep up with the latest information on conflicts, but I can imagine how we are maybe a few missteps away from escalation and world war. After all, it was just a bunch of circumstances and Gavrilo Princip last time, right?

I just have a feeling humanity has a lot on its plate at the moment and maybe it's more than we can chew.

Do you feel similarly? How do you cope? Especially if you have children.

  👤 hotpotamus Accepted Answer ✓
Interestingly, it sounds a bit like you read an article in The Atlantic yesterday about chaos theory and the current state of the world[0]. But of course it's just fairly obvious to anyone who pays attention.

I think that this kind of uncertainty is why religion has long had a place for humans, to believe that there is meaning and a plan. I wish that I could subscribe to one of the more mainstream ones, but I've really never been able to believe in them. I think a meditation practice is helpful and can help develop a bit of spirituality at least. Otherwise it's just the standard advice anyone will give you for anxiety; diet, exercise, perhaps medication.

[0]https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/01/fl...

👤 whatamidoingyo
> How do you cope?

Honestly, I just live life. I try not to worry about things that I can't control. It's much like worrying about the weather. I can be anxious about the snow storm coming, but what good is that going to do? The snow is coming regardless.