Key facts
- Saturday Night Live featured an impersonation of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
- The skit portrayed Amodei as conflicted about AI's potential to destroy humanity.
- The fictional Amodei stated, "AI is not a weapon, it’s a tool: A tool for building weapons."
- The skit suggested a 10% chance of cancer being cured in 10 years.
Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment last night included a comedic portrayal of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, as the show tackled the AI industry's recent discourse on existential risks. Cast member Jane Wickline performed the impression, depicting Amodei as someone who had "stumbled through a press tour" and appeared to agree with a former employee's assertion that artificial intelligence could pose a threat to humanity.
Wickline's Amodei, complete with a wig, delivered halting responses, at times devolving into a Gollum-like persona. The fictional CEO confessed, "AI is the devil and I its maker," and assured the audience that AI executives "are all on the same page here: We do not condone what we are doing."
The skit further satirized the perceived contradictions in AI safety discussions, with the fictional Amodei stating, "AI is not a weapon, it’s a tool: A tool for building weapons." He added, "And I urge you to urge me to stop." Regarding AI's potential benefits, such as curing cancer, the character suggested, "In 10 years, there’s about a 10% chance that cancer won’t be a problem for anyone."