[Problem profile] “Stable totalitarianism” by Stephen Clare

The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia for just four years, yet in that time they murdered about one-quarter of Cambodia's population. Even short-lived totalitarian regimes can inflict enormous harm. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(03:48) Summary(04:18) Our overall view(07:12) Why might the risk of stable totalitarianism be an especially pressing problem?(07:36) Could totalitarianism be an existential risk?(08:45) Is any of this remotely plausible?(12:03) Will totalitarian regimes arise in future?(13:06) Could a totalitarian regime dominate the world?(13:29) Domination by force(16:38) Controlling a powerful government(19:24) Could a totalitarian regime last forever?(23:11) The chance of stable totalitarianism(27:50) Preventing long-term totalitarianism in particular seems pretty neglected(30:13) Why might you choose not to work on this problem?(31:06) What can you do to help?(31:33) AI Governance(33:10) Researching risks of global coordination(34:30) Working on defensive technologies(36:39) Protecting democratic institutions(38:15) Learn more about risks of stable totalitarianism(39:27) Explore other pressing world problems The original text contained 13 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: June 19th, 2024 Last updated: October 29th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/risks-of-stable-totalitarianism --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.