Posted on 10/16/2026 1:40:39 PM PDT by libh8er
As smoking makes a comeback among Silicon Valley founders and engineers, Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar says some AI researchers are lighting up to signal their belief that the technology will cure cancer, calling it a form of “mass psychosis.”
Speaking with Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan Sunday, Sankar argued that some people building artificial general intelligence (AGI) have developed an almost religious faith in the technology, while others’ warnings about its dangers are driven by their own ideological beliefs.
The X account Fireside Alpha shared a clip.
[Palantir CTO reveals AI researchers are taking up smoking to signal to other researchers that they believe AI will cure cancer--and calls it a “mass psychosis”
Shyam Sankar (CTO): “But if you understand that it’s actually a theological critique, then you can kind of weigh it ... ]
“I think there’s a profound truth to Pascal’s saying that every human has a God-shaped hole in their heart,” Sankar told Brennan. “And it’s important to understand that many of these folks in Silicon Valley who are building this technology have filled that hole with the machine god of AGI.”
Sankar claimed that some AI researchers have taken up smoking to demonstrate how strongly they believe the technology will eventually cure cancer, arguing the practice has become a “social delusion,” though he offered no evidence of how widespread the practice is.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfist.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
Also, California’s jagoff governor Gavin Newsom has made disposable vapes illegal, which was a somewhat healthier (if not, at least cleaner) alternative to smoking. First, he went after flavored nicotine vapes (”for the children”), and now disposable nicotine vapes entirely (”for the environment”), all while not banning any similar cannabis products. Flavored weed vape - no problem. Birthday cake vodka, no problem. But mint nicotine, nope. Dumbass.
Written by someone who has never been to Silicon Valley.
but what are they smoking, that is the real question.
“machine god of AGI.”
Most people, including Silicon Valley investors, have no idea how current AI works. That’s how they get their delusions of AGI.
Uh-oh!
AI Overview
Smoking is a leading cause of numerous life-threatening diseases, damaging nearly every organ system in the body. UnityPoint Health +1
Major Diseases Caused by Smoking
• Lung Cancer: Responsible for roughly 90% of all lung cancer cases. Cigarette smoke contains over 60 known carcinogens that mutate cell DNA. American Lung Association +3
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which cause severe, progressive breathing difficulty. Smoking causes 85% to 90% of all COPD cases. Johns Hopkins Medicine +3
• Heart Disease: Narrows and blocks arteries (atherosclerosis), reduces blood and oxygen flow to the heart, and drastically raises the risk of heart attacks. American Lung Association +1
• Stroke: Damages blood vessels in the brain, temporarily or permanently blocking blood flow and causing brain cell death. American Lung Association +1
• Type 2 Diabetes: Smokers are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-smokers, and smoking worsens diabetes-related complications like poor circulation and nerve damage. American Lung Association +1
• Multiple Cancers: Beyond the lungs, smoking causes cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, liver, colon, stomach, and cervix, as detailed by the American Cancer Society.
• Reproductive and Birth Issues: Causes reduced fertility, erectile dysfunction, ectopic pregnancies, and premature or low birth-weight babies. World Health Organization (WHO) +3
• Vision Loss: Triggers cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and general blindness. American Lung Association +1
Uh-oh!
AI Overview
Smoking is a leading cause of numerous life-threatening diseases, damaging nearly every organ system in the body. UnityPoint Health +1
Major Diseases Caused by Smoking
• Lung Cancer: Responsible for roughly 90% of all lung cancer cases. Cigarette smoke contains over 60 known carcinogens that mutate cell DNA. American Lung Association +3
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which cause severe, progressive breathing difficulty. Smoking causes 85% to 90% of all COPD cases. Johns Hopkins Medicine +3
• Heart Disease: Narrows and blocks arteries (atherosclerosis), reduces blood and oxygen flow to the heart, and drastically raises the risk of heart attacks. American Lung Association +1
• Stroke: Damages blood vessels in the brain, temporarily or permanently blocking blood flow and causing brain cell death. American Lung Association +1
• Type 2 Diabetes: Smokers are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-smokers, and smoking worsens diabetes-related complications like poor circulation and nerve damage. American Lung Association +1
• Multiple Cancers: Beyond the lungs, smoking causes cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, liver, colon, stomach, and cervix, as detailed by the American Cancer Society.
• Reproductive and Birth Issues: Causes reduced fertility, erectile dysfunction, ectopic pregnancies, and premature or low birth-weight babies. World Health Organization (WHO) +3
• Vision Loss: Triggers cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and general blindness. American Lung Association +1
Good line in Scream 2 when a guy said to the Courteney Cox TV reporter: “Hey, since when did you go back to smoking?”
2nd guy: “She’s back to it since the internet showed all those photoshopped nude photos of her.”
Cox: “They were all my head on Jennifer Aniston’s body.”
Pfizer has been developing drugs since 1845. That’s 177 years. Not one of their drugs has CURED anything. If any drug has a cure, the drug companies would cease to exist. Let that sink in.
Key that into a search engine and you’ll find it to be debunked
I’ve just finished my Lemony Kale and Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts lunch and I’m going to follow up with a Marlboro with my pumpkin spice latte
You’re correct. And EVERYBODY who has used a Pfizer drug over 120 years ago is DEAD. Terrible track record.
COPD is very bad. It’s not just the lung cancer that’s bad.
most people dont know how cancer works either
does that mean soon I’ll be able to just lean back after a good meal somewhere and light a cig as I rub the ol’ belly!??
Non-smoking areas started in Cali... maybe they’ll end there as well!!
Read a UK article the other day about how British Gen-Z’ers are latching onto the 1990s. Drawn by the 1990s freedom (CCTV cameras and mobile phones weren’t documenting everything) in society and in the art world, they’re reviving the fashion, attitudes, and habits— including smoking cigarettes- which are cool again!!!
I mean who didn’t love somewhat unkempt Kate Moss with a lung dart? I’ve been through several revivals but fell in love with 90s Britain. So, I hope it lasts and changes the course of the nation but realize it’s probably just a fad…
AI won’t cure the disgusting smell, the second-hand smoke, the burnt clothing or the expensive cost of cigarettes.
I will never go back to smoking. I think a pack of cigarettes in my city costs around, or, close to $10 a pack.
and if you get heart disease
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.