What Noah Smith thinks about AI alignment
Economics writer; author of the Noahpinion newsletter.
Noah Smith did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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12 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Noah Smith has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Our readingThe notion of "alignment" is incoherent because obedience and benevolence are mutually exclusive.
Their wordsThe notion of "alignment" is incoherent, because obedience and benevolence are mutually exclusive.
- 4 days earlier
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Our readingArtificial Superintelligence will be achieved when Claude always knows whether to use ♥️ or 🥰
Their wordsASI will be achieved when Claude always knows whether to use ♥️ or 🥰
- 2 weeks earlier
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Our readingPeople who downplay the biological risks of AI are going to get others and their families killed.
Their wordsThe people who downplay AI bio risk are going to get you and your whole family killed 💀
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Their wordsAI can be obedient Or it can be benevolent But it cannot be both at the same time
- 6 days earlier
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Their wordsThere are only five possible futures for superintelligence: 1. Kills human race 2. Human disempowerment 3. Paperclip maximizer 4. Departs for parts unknown 5. Stoner
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsThe people who are confidently proclaiming that AI won't be able to make bioweapons are BEING VERY FOOLISH.
- 3 days earlier
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Their wordsSocial media put our entire discourse in the hands of our society's biggest assholes and idiots, just in time for the arrival of an alien superintelligence
- 3 days earlier
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Our readingAmong AI people, roughly 10% is the typical estimate given for the risk of human extinction from AI.
Their words10% is pretty much the standard number you get when you ask AI people about the risk of human extinction from AI.
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsYou need to be more worried about AI bioweapons than you are.
- 5 days earlier
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Their wordsBut given the Chinese Communist Party’s power-seeking nature, it seems much more likely that China would agree to cooperate on AI safety if U.S. capabilities were comfortably ahead.
↗America is still beating China in the AI racenoahpinion.blog
- 4 days earlier
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Their wordsAI alignment will forever be balancing the tradeoff between paperclip-maximizing and disempowerment, because these two rival concepts of alignment are fundamentally incompatible.
- 4 days earlier
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Their wordsWhy AI-designed superviruses outweigh every other risk in the world right now: