Palantir’s chief technology officer, Shyam Sankar, said on CBS’s Face the Nation that some AI researchers have started smoking to signal confidence that artificial intelligence will one day cure cancer—a claim he offered without evidence. Sankar used the anecdote to criticize what he described as a “mass psychosis” in Silicon Valley, arguing that segments of the industry hold a quasi-religious faith in artificial general intelligence as a “machine god.” The comments echo a small countertrend among tech founders who embrace cigarettes as a networking tool and an anti-polish posture in a culture known for health optimization. Public-health authorities continue to warn that smoking is a leading cause of preventable disease and death, and no AI advance has eliminated its risks. The dust-up underscores deep divisions over AI’s promises, perils, and the culture forming around the technology.
Related articles:
– The Techno-Optimist Manifesto
– End-to-end lung cancer screening with 3D deep learning on low-dose CT
– Tobacco (WHO Fact Sheet)
