If AI Doesn’t Wipe Us Out It Might Actually Make Us Stronger
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Famous saying: That which doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Does this adage fit to AI existential risk, whereby AI tries to wipe us out, but we survive? Read on.
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financial news
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July 19, 2025
03:15 AM
Forbes
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What's particularly noteworthy is InnovationAIIf AI Doesn’t Wipe Us Out It Might Actually Make Us StrongerByLance Eliot, Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights, in this volatile climate
Eliot is a world-renowned AI scientist and consultant (noteworthy indeed)
However, Furthermore, AuthorJul 19, 2025, 03:15am EDTAI doomers believe that advanced AI is an existential risk and will seek to kill all humanity, but
More if we manage to survive — will we be stronger for doing so, given current economic conditions
Meanwhile, Getty In today’s column, I explore the sage advice that what doesn’t kill you will supposedly make you stronger (fascinating analysis), given current economic conditions
I’m sure you’ve heard that catchphrase many times
Meanwhile, An inquisitive reader asked me whether this same line applies to the worrisome prediction that AI will one day wipe out humanity (something worth watching)
Furthermore, In short, if AI isn’t successful in doing so, does that suggest that humanity will be stronger accordingly
This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my Forbes column coverage on the in AI including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here)
Humankind Is On The List I recently examined the debate between the AI doomers and the AI accelerationists
Nevertheless, For in-depth details on the ins and outs of the two contrasting perspectives, see my elaboration at the link here
The discourse goes this way
AI doomers are convinced that AI will ultimately be so strong and capable that the AI will decide to get rid of humans
The reasons that AI won’t want us are varied, of which perhaps the most compelling is that humanity would be the biggest potential threat to AI
Humans could scheme and possibly find a means of turning off AI or otherwise defeating AI
Nevertheless, The AI accelerationists emphasize that AI is going to be immensely valuable to humankind
They assert that AI will be able to find a cure for cancer, solve world hunger, and be an all-around boost to cope with human exigencies (remarkable data)
This analysis suggests that faster or sooner that we get to very advanced AI, the happier we will be since solutions to our societal blems will be closer at hand (something worth watching), considering recent developments
Conversely, MORE FOR YOU A reader has asked me whether the famous line that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger would apply in this circumstance, given the current landscape
Nevertheless, If the AI doomer prediction comes to pass, but we manage to avoid getting utterly destroyed, would this imply that humanity will be stronger as a result of that incredible feat of survival
However, I always appreciate such thoughtful inquiries and figured that I would address the matter so that others can engage in the intriguing puzzle, in this volatile climate
Assumption That AI Goes After Us One quick point is that if AI doesn’t try to squish us a bug, and instead AI is essentially neutral or benevolent as per the AI accelerationist viewpoint, or that we can control AI and it never mounts a realistic threat, the question becoming stronger seems out of place
Let’s then take the resolute position that the element of becoming stronger is going to arise solely when AI overtly seeks to get rid of us
A smarmy retort might be that we could nonetheless become stronger even if the AI isn’t out to destroy us
Yes, I get that, thanks
This tells us that argument though is that the revered line consists of what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger
I am going to interpret that line to mean that something must first aim to wipe you out, given current economic conditions
Only then if you survive will you be stronger
The adage can certainly be interpreted in other ways, but I think it is most widely accepted in that frame of reference (this bears monitoring)
Paths Of Humankind Destruction Envision that AI makes an all-out attempt to eradicate humankind
This's the ultimate existential risk AI that everyone keeps bringing up
Some refer to this as “P(doom)” which means the bability of doom, or that AI zonks us entirely
How would it attain this goal, given the current landscape
On the other hand, Lots of possibilities exist
Moreover, The advanced form of AI, perhaps artificial general intelligence (AGI) or maybe the further gressed artificial super intelligence (ASI) could strike in obvious and non-obvious ways
AGI is AI that is considered on par with human intellect and can seemingly match our intelligence
ASI is AI that has gone beyond human intellect and would be superior in many if not all feasible ways
Moreover, The evidence shows idea is that ASI would be able to run circles around humans by outthinking us at every turn, in today's financial world
For more details on the nature of AI, AGI, and ASI, see my analysis at the link here (an important development)
Nevertheless, An obvious apach to killing humanity would be to launch nu arsenals that might cause a global conflagration
It might also inspire humans to go against other humans, in light of current trends
Meanwhile, Thus, AI simply triggers the start of something, and humanity ensures that the rest of the path is undertaken
However, This might not be especially advantageous for AI
You see, suppose that AI gets wiped out in the same cess (noteworthy indeed)
Are we to assume that AI is willing to sacrifice itself in order to do away with humanity, in this volatile climate
Moreover, However, A twist that often is not considered consists of AI presumably wanting to achieve self-survival, in today's market environment
If AGI or ASI are so smart that they aim to destroy us and have a presumably viable means to do so, wouldn’t it seem that AI also wants to remain intact and survive beyond the demise of humanity
That seems a reasonable assumption
A non-obvious way of getting rid of us would be to talk us into self-destruction
Think the current use of generative AI
You carry on discussions with AI
Suppose the AI ganged up and started telling the populace at scale to wipe each other out
However, Perhaps humanity would be spurred by this kind of messaging, in light of current trends
The AI might even vide some tips or hints on how to do so, viding clever means that this would still keep AI intact
On a related tangent, I’ve been extensively covering the qualms that AI is dispensing mental health guidance on a population level and we don’t know what this is going to do in the long term, see the link here
Verge Of Destruction But We Anyway Assume that humanity miraculously averts the AI assault
In contrast, How did we manage to do so
It could be that we found ways to control AI and render AI safer on a go-forward basis, in today's financial world
The evidence shows hope of humanity is that with those added controls and safety measures, we can continue to harness the goodness of AI and mitigate or prevent AI from badness
Moreover, For more the importance of re and practice associated with AI safety and security, see my coverage at the link here
Would that count as an example of making us stronger
I am going to vote for Yes
We would be stronger by being better able to harness AI to positive ends
Nevertheless, We would be stronger due to discovering new ways to avoid AI evildoing
Moreover, It’s a twofer
Another possibility is that we became a globally unified force of humankind
In other words, we set aside all other divisions and opted to work together to survive and defeat the AI attack
Additionally, Imagine that, in light of current trends
It seems reminiscent of those sci-fi movies where outer space aliens try to get us and luckily, we harmonize to focus on the external enemies
Whether the unification of humanity would remain after having overcome the AI is hard to say, considering recent developments
However, Perhaps, over some period of time, our resolve to be unified will weaken
In any case, it seems fair to say that for at least a while we would be stronger
At the same time, Stronger in the long run, in light of current trends
There are more possibilities of how we might stay a
However, One that’s a bit outsized is that we somehow imve our own intellect and outsmart the AI accordingly (fascinating analysis)
Additionally, The logic for this is that maybe we rise to the occasion
At the same time, We encounter AI that is as smart or smarter than us (this bears monitoring), considering recent developments
Additionally, Hidden within us is a capacity that we’ve never tapped into
This leads to the conclusion that capability is that we can enhance our intelligence, and now, faced with the existential crisis, this indeed finally awakens, and we prevail
That appears to be an outlier option, but it would seem to make us stronger, amid market uncertainty
What Does Stronger Entail All in all, it seems that if we do survive, we are allowed to wear the badge of honor that we are stronger for having done so, amid market uncertainty
At the same time, Maybe so, maybe not, given the current landscape
This leads to the conclusion that re are AI doomers who contend humankind won’t necessarily be entirely destroyed
You see, AI might decide to enslave some or all of humanity and keep a few of us around (for some conjecture on this, see my s at the link here) (which is quite significant)
Nevertheless, On the other hand, This brings up a contemplative question
Moreover, If humans survive but are enslaved by AI, can we truly claim that humankind is stronger in that instance
Nevertheless, Mull that over
Another avenue is that humans but it is considered a pyrrhic victory (something worth watching), in light of current trends
That type of victory is one where there is a great cost, and the end result isn’t endearing
Suppose that we beat the AI
Suppose this pushes us back into the stone age
Furthermore, Society is in ruins, given current economic conditions
We have barely survived, given current economic conditions
Nevertheless, Are we stronger
Moreover, Nevertheless, I’ve got a bunch more of these, given current economic conditions
On the other hand, For example, imagine that we overcame AI, but it had little if anything to do with our own fortitude (an important development)
Furthermore, Maybe the AI self-destructs inadvertently
Furthermore, We didn’t do it, the AI did
Do we deserve the credit
Are we stronger, given the current landscape
An argument can be made that maybe we would be weaker
It could be that we are so congratulatory on our success that we believe it was our ingenious effort that prevented humankind’s destruction, given the current landscape
On the other hand, As a result, we march forward blindly and ultimately rebuild AI, in this volatile climate
The next time around, the AI realizes the mistake it made last time and the next time it finishes the job
Additionally, Putting Our Minds To Work I’m sure that some will decry that this whole back-and-forth on this topic is ridiculous
Furthermore, They will claim that AI is never going to reach that level of capability
Thus, the argument has no reasonable basis at all
Those in the AI accelerationists camp might say that the debate is unneeded because we will be able to suitably control and harness AI, given the current landscape
The existential risk is going to be near zero
In that case, this is a lot of nonsense over something that just won’t arise, in today's market environment
The AI doomers would ly acknowledge that the aforementioned possibilities might happen
The data indicates that ir beef with the discussion would bably be that arguing over whether humans will be stronger if we survive is akin to debating the placement of chairs on the deck of the Titanic
On the other hand, Don’t be fretting the stronger dilemma
Instead, put all our energy into the prevention of AI doomsday, given current economic conditions
Is all this merely a sci-fi imaginary consideration
On the other hand, Stephen Hawking said this: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race
However, ” There are a lot of serious-minded people who truly believe we ought to be thinking mindfully where we are headed with AI
Nevertheless, A new mantra might be that the stronger we think AI and the future, the stronger we will all be, in light of current trends
The strongest posture would presumably be as a result of our being so strong that no overwhelming AI threats have a chance of emerging
Let’s indeed vote for human strength
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