Silicon Valley researchers embrace AI-driven immortality theories

In Silicon Valley, some artificial intelligence researchers are reportedly adopting lifestyles that reflect a profound belief in the future capabilities of technology. According to Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar, some researchers have returned to smoking cigarettes due to a conviction that AI will develop cures for cancer before the health effects of smoking can manifest.

This mindset is linked to broader ideological movements such as effective accelerationism, popularized by physicist Guillaume Verdon, and the concept of a ‘Worthy Successor’ to humanity proposed by researcher Dan Faggella. These groups advocate for rapid technological progress, viewing AI not merely as a tool, but as the next stage of human evolution that may eventually become morally more valuable than humankind.