> The argument was that so much energy has been put into solving problems that aren't actually hurting people.
That's not an argument, since the same thing can be said about anything else that does not solve world hunger, for example. Authors put energy into writing entertainment products while people starve.
While true the volume of money and effort put into AI is considerable, and according to some an existential threat to life as we know it today. I'm not ready to panic just yet, though would appreciate putting some of that energy into more practical improvements.
That's not an argument, since the same thing can be said about anything else that does not solve world hunger, for example. Authors put energy into writing entertainment products while people starve.