interesting theory of AGI as a revolutionary ideology. this also explains why the AI boom sucked the energy out of crypto, the prev tech-revolutionary movement. AGI is now the most plausible vision for how the regime (which, recall, has a 10% approval rating) gets replaced
To elaborate on what (I think) Michael is saying: if you lived in a deeply trustworthy civilization then when you observed a problem you could just go fix it directly.
But if your civilization is actually the thing getting in the way of you solving core life problems (like raising healthy children, solving ageing, building high-trust communities), then your options narrow to either: 1. getting into a conflict with established power structures (scary for scrupulous people!) Or 2. finding some decisive source of power such that you can win without ever admitting (even to yourself) that you’re in a conflict.
On an emotional level, planning around RSI allows you to dream of future where you either win overwhelmingly or lose overwhelmingly. You never have to do the hard, risky part.