Seth Lazar on Trolley Problem and Harm Delivery

Seth Lazar, a philosopher focused on AI safety who leads the MINT Lab, posted a statement on the trolley problem. He argued that debates often overlook its core lesson: people assess harm by the method of its occurrence as well as by its total magnitude. To make the point he sketched a hypothetical bargain with an alien civilization that would deliver 10 percent economic growth in exchange for an unspecified concession. The post presents this scenario as a way to separate questions of outcome size from questions of agency and causation.