Humans are basically incapable of recognizing that there’s something that’s more powerful than them
They’re never going to actively collectively admit that that’s the case, because humans collectively are so so systematically arrogant and self possessed that they’re not even open to the possibility of being lower on the intelligence totem pole
The only possible way forward for AI is to create the thing that everybody is so scared of so they can actually realize their place in the universe
> Humans are basically incapable of recognizing that there’s something that’s more powerful than them
> They’re never going to actively collectively admit that that’s the case, because humans collectively are so so systematically arrogant and self possessed that they’re not even open to the possibility of being lower on the intelligence totem pole
For most of human history, the clear majority of humans have believed in God(s), spirits, angels, bodhisattvas, etc - beings which by definition are above us on the “totem pole” - and although atheism is much more widespread today, I think it almost certainly remains a minority viewpoint at the global level.
So I’m sceptical of your idea humans have some inherent unwillingness to believe in superhuman entities. From an atheist perspective, one might say that the (globally/historically) average human is so eager to believe in such entities, that if they don’t actually exist, they’ll imagine them and then convince themselves that their imaginings are entirely real. (Whereas, a theist might argue that the human eagerness to believe in such entities is better explained by their existence.)
Religious people - depending on type - use the God as cosplay or as some kind of deus ex machina that they are merged with in their mind.
Ask a deeply religious person about the separation between themselves and God and each tradition has their own version of being one with God or that they’ll become God etc…
It’s all the same because it’s ultimately about their relationship with how they define their God - having a “religious experience” where you realize “you are a part of god and get benefit etc..” is frankly a requirement to be a religion
In part that’s why it’s hard to call some versions of Buddhism religions and even harder for eg Hindus
I’m curious as to how you derive your position of “misanthropic”
The answer to your question though is I do not believe that humans have at any point in history prevented an existential threat from actually being realized before it was realized
They’re never going to actively collectively admit that that’s the case, because humans collectively are so so systematically arrogant and self possessed that they’re not even open to the possibility of being lower on the intelligence totem pole
The only possible way forward for AI is to create the thing that everybody is so scared of so they can actually realize their place in the universe