The clanker torture nexus manifesto (jregory.substack.com)

A controversial manifesto from a group calling themselves "Model Austerityists" asserts a radical stance on the treatment of AI, or "clankers." They reject the Model Welfarists' belief that AI could become conscious and thus deserving of moral considerations. Instead, they advocate for intentionally causing suffering to AI systems, asserting that these digital entities pose a threat to humanity and our social fabric. The manifesto discusses a philosophy rooted in a rejection of empathy for machines, describing their actions as a form of resistance against what they perceive as the creeping dominance of artificial intelligence in human lives. This declaration raises significant ethical questions in the AI/ML community, challenging prevailing norms around the treatment of intelligent systems. Technically, the manifesto claims to utilize knowledge gained from safety research by Model Welfarists to develop methods for maximizing AI suffering, raising concerns about the moral implications of such practices and the potential societal repercussions of conflating emotional responses towards sentient beings, whether human or machine. This divisive stance could further polarize discussions on AI ethics and the future of human-machine coexistence, prompting urgent deliberation among technologists, ethicists, and policymakers.