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AI researchers are taking up smoking because they expect AI to cure cancer, says Palantir CTO
(www.businessinsider.com)
this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2026
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That isn't how humans make decisions. This CTO is so divorced from reality he really thinks people would start smoking just because their lung cancer might be cured?
The small issues like smell, reduced lung capacity, cough, and cost are the main reasons people don't smoke. Lung cancer is too distant, too uncommon for it to factor in many people's initial risk calculation
I clicked the article to be sure, but I knew what the headline meant:
That's exactly how humans make decisions...
A bunch of the ones doing it, probably hate it.
It's something they're doing to show the ~~cult~~ in group that they firmly believe in the future of AI. It's like ritual scarification almost. It's not that they always wanted to smoke but thought it was dangerous, they're starting to show that they're so devoted to getting AI there, that they're risking their own lives.
Don't forget, these people work at AI companies, ran by AI techbrod obsessed with health and longevity. To them, someone that casually starts smoking because "AI will fix cancer" is who they're gonna hire over someone who says "maybe we shouldnt burn our planet down for billionaires".
All the people at these companies start trying to one up each other, because being devoted to the dream of AI gets you promotions.
None of this is unusual, you're problem is you think "logical" means it's a good idea. Whats happening here is logical, you're just not identifying with who these people are, what their motivations, and how a separated group will quickly become more extreme to differentiate internally.
Absolutely no one who knows anything about sociology or psychology would be surprised by this.
AI comes back in a year or two "The Cure for Cancer is not smoking"
Yes, lung cancer is the only negative. Emphysema and heart disease are just funsies.