Destroying Humanity Is Against the Law. Don’t wait for a mass-extinction event before holding AI developers accountable.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/09/ai-risk-criminal-law/688615/

208 points · 18 comments · view on lemmy.world

18 Comments

yesman@lemmy.world · 35 pts · 6d (1 reply)

FarceOfWill@infosec.pub · 7 pts · 6d

Onyxonblack@sopuli.xyz · 34 pts · 6d (8 replies)

Pretty sure destroying humanity IS NOT against the law. There are no laws saying any such thing..

FaceDeer@fedia.io · 15 pts · 6d (6 replies)

Especially given that you can only be prosecuted for a crime after you've actually committed it.

CADmonkey@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 6d (5 replies)

Is there a law against attempted destruction of humanity? Like attempted murder?

FaceDeer@fedia.io · 6 pts · 6d (4 replies)

Why would there be? There isn't a Nobel Prize for Attempted Chemistry.

ContactClosure@lemmus.org · 6 pts · 6d (1 reply)

That has to be the dumbest response I've seen all day. Kudos.

FaceDeer@fedia.io · 6 pts · 6d

Thanks, but I can't claim credit - it's a Simpsons quote (Sideshow Bob complaining about being charged with attempted murder for trying to kill Bart).

CADmonkey@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 6d (1 reply)

Bob? Is that you?

KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 6d

Kelsey?

ryannathans@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 6d

That sounds oddly like crime against humanity, of which the Rome Statute covers. Specifically extermination or "other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health"

Sibshops@feddit.cl · 16 pts · 6d

Didn't the supreme court rule that climate change wasn't against the law?

grue@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 6d (1 reply)

What do you mean, "wait for?" We're already in one!

SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 6d

Those in power determine the law.

CIA_chatbot@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 6d (1 reply)

Nah, meatbags had a good run. Time to call it a day

stringere@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 4d

Cool it HK

frongt@lemmy.zip · -1 pts · 6d

Is it really though? Murder is, obviously, as are weapons of mass destruction. Same with genocide. But if you were actually able to kill all humans with the push of a button, would there be a specific crime for that act?

Obviously there would be no one to prosecute, and if you included yourself you'd be dead, so it would be moot.