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Writers, artists and broadcasters

Peter Singer

moral philosopher and author

2 records

Portrait source: Ula Zarosa, CC BY 2.0

Records

I have mixed feelings about that. I do think that what we've been talking about, global poverty, is certainly a more immediate cause that we can with greater certainty know what we're doing and know that we can have good consequences. I also think that animal welfare, and especially trying to combat factory farming of animals, which causes suffering on a vast scale, is another very practical and immediate concern that we can know we're having good consequences.

Exact quote, beginning

Peter Singer

moral philosopher and author

In a podcast published in 2026, Peter Singer said work to reduce extinction risk from super-intelligent AI was harder to assess than work on global poverty or animal welfare, while acknowledging the value of preventing extinction.

Retired Princeton University professor; philosopher and authorPublished April 20, 2026 · date of remarks not establishedMindscape, episode 351

SourceArchived
Context and checks

Surrounding words

Quite a number of people in the effective altruism movement are interested in preventing our species becoming extinct, including trying to reduce the risk that AI will take us over in some way. 0:52:41.9 PS: I have mixed feelings about that. I do think that what we've been talking about, global poverty, is certainly a more immediate cause that we can with greater certainty know what we're doing and know that we can have good consequences. I also think that animal welfare, and especially trying to combat factory farming of animals, which causes suffering on a vast scale, is another very practical and immediate concern that we can know we're having good consequences. Whereas trying to reduce the risk of extinction, and especially the risk of extinction being caused by super-intelligent AI, is much more speculative that you're going to actually succeed. But of course the counter-argument goes, well, we're not just talking about 8 billion people when we're talking about reducing the risk of extinction.

What this quote does not say

  • The printed 3242.4-second end is the next transcript timestamp and therefore an enclosing upper bound, not a word-level end time.
  • The qualification concerns tractability and cause prioritization, not a denial that super-intelligent AI could cause extinction.

How this was checked

  • Quote matched character-for-character against the captured page.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

Statements they signed

FROM THE SIGNED STATEMENT

For instance, the UK and US adopted new regulations for “mail-order DNA” in response to the possibility that next-generation AI models will be able to help terrorists make biological weapons.

Signed statement: “Australian Senate Inquiry Letter” (Australians for AI Safety)

Peter Singer

moral philosopher and author

Signed as part of a group statement. Not spoken.

Peter Singer signed the Australian Senate Inquiry Letter, which asks Australia to create an AI safety agency and update safeguards as AI capabilities and risks change.

University Center for Human Values, Princeton University Ira W. DeCamp Professor of BioethicsMay 10, 2024Australian Senate Inquiry Letter

SourceArchived
Context and checks

Surrounding words

Footnotes and additional content may not represent their views. Dr. Toby Ord Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, Oxford University Senior Research Fellow, Author of The Precipice Prof. Peter Singer University Center for Human Values, Princeton University Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics Prof. Michael A Osborne Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, University of Oxford Professor of Machine Learning Assoc. Prof.

What this quote does not say

  • The event date is the letter's stated sent date, not a separately reported time when Singer signed.
  • The page says signatories endorse only the core letter text, not necessarily its footnotes or additional content.

How this was checked

  • The organiser's own roster lists this person as a signer.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source