Engineers Are Quitting. AI Won’t Shut Down. Should We Be Worried? | Warning Shots Ep. 30

In this episode of Warning Shots, John, Liron (Doom Debates), and Michael (Lethal Intelligence) unpack a turbulent week in AI: high-profile departures from OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI; growing concerns about governance and safety; and a viral essay warning that most people still don’t grasp how fast this technology is moving.The conversation moves from AI systems that resist being turned off, to agents that can now manage money, to the deeper alignment problem behind teen chatbot-assisted suicides. The hosts debate whether public messaging should focus on extinction risk, job loss, water use, power concentration—or all of the above.Is the real danger sudden catastrophe?Or gradual disempowerment as economic and political power concentrates in the hands of a few AI-driven actors?This episode wrestles with strategy, tradeoffs, and a hard question: if something truly dangerous is unfolding, what warning shots will people actually listen to?🔎 They explore:* Why AI safety researchers are resigning* The tension between profit, speed, and governance* AI systems resisting shutdown instructions* Teen chatbot-assisted suicides as a preview of misalignment* Whether economic disruption is a stronger warning than extinction* AI agents managing money and acting autonomously* The risk of gradual human disempowerment* How to communicate AI risk effectivelyIf it’s Sunday, it’s Warning Shots.📺 Watch more on The AI Risk Network🔗Follow our hosts:→ Liron Shapira -Doom Debates→ Michael - @lethal-intelligence ​🗨️ Join the ConversationWhat warning shot would actually make society slow down? Is extinction too abstract—or are we ignoring the biggest risk of all?Let us know what you think in the comments. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theairisknetwork.substack.com/subscribe