A writer reflecting on Daniel Ellsberg's memoir 'The Doomsday Machine' draws parallels between the messianic, insider mentality of Cold War-era nuclear strategists at RAND Corporation and the language used today by AI companies like Anthropic. The piece cites Ellsberg's description of colleagues who felt a quasi-religious sense of mission to save the world from nuclear catastrophe, including two young researchers who declined RAND's retirement plan because they doubted humanity would survive long enough to need it.
blog.jim-nielsen.com
· 2026-10-23
Peter Thiel has been giving closed-door, invitation-only talks in San Francisco and, in March, Rome, arguing that effective altruism's apocalyptic AI-safety worldview risks producing what he calls the Antichrist. The lectures build on a 2023 talk at the Catholic University of America and focus on eschatology, the theological study of end-times. Thiel reportedly described the secrecy around the talks as good marketing, since restricting access generates more attention than making them public.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-20
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Cerebras Systems CEO Andrew Feldman said some AI industry leaders should rethink their public commentary, arguing that warnings about AI risks have overshadowed its potential benefits, such as curing cancer. He acknowledged that powerful technology carries risks of misuse and said the industry needs thoughtful, reasonable regulation, while also noting the sector has handled local community relations around data center buildouts poorly.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-13
A 1960 Science paper by Heinz von Foerster used a hyperbolic growth model to predict that human population would reach mathematical infinity on November 13, 2026. Instead, global population is projected to be about 8.3 billion by mid-2026, roughly in line with conventional demographic trends rather than the runaway trajectory the model implied.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-11
In November 1960, physicist Heinz von Foerster and two colleagues at the University of Illinois published a paper in Science titled 'Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026,' extrapolating from historical population data to predict humanity's growth rate would reach a mathematical infinity on that date. The New York Times covered the paper at the time, noting that von Foerster picked a Friday the 13th within the calculated error range, which also happened to be his birthday. Demographers criticized the model's assumptions, and actual population growth did not follow the predicted trajectory.
science.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-09
Marvel's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' recorded another box office win just before its home release, continuing to perform alongside 'Avengers: Endgame – Encore' in theaters. The two titles are reported to be keeping Marvel's theatrical slate strong heading into the holiday season.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-05
A 1960 paper published in the journal Science used a mathematical model of human population growth to calculate that global population would reach infinity—a theoretical 'doomsday'—on November 13, 2026. The researchers based the projection on historical population growth trends extrapolated into the future.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-01
Marvel's re-release of 'Avengers: Endgame,' branded as an 'Encore' edition, pulled in strong theater attendance over the weekend. The reissue included a preview tied to the upcoming 'Doomsday' project, which appears to have been a major draw alongside nostalgia for the original 2019 film.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-28
Marvel Studios' re-release of 'Avengers: Endgame,' subtitled 'Encore,' includes bonus footage that hints at the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday' film. The teases appear before the film's December 18 theatrical window closes, giving fans early clues about the next Avengers installment.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-25
Amid growing public concern about AI, researchers are debating four widely discussed doomsday scenarios, including engineered pandemics and nuclear conflict triggered by AI systems. A cybersecurity researcher at SentinelOne who sits on OpenAI's Frontier Risk Council dismissed these scenarios as unconvincing, while a former Anthropic researcher who quit over safety concerns said he struggles to explain concrete ways AI could cause human extinction.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-23
Low-quality phone-recorded clips claiming to show new scenes from a re-release of 'Avengers: Endgame,' dubbed 'Encore,' have appeared online. The footage reportedly hints at connections to an upcoming 'Doomsday' storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-23
Reporting revisits comments made by leading AI company founders, including figures behind OpenAI and Anthropic, who warned of existential risks from artificial intelligence even as they built their firms. These statements, made years before recent viral discussions, framed advanced AI as a potential threat to humanity while the same executives pursued its development. The resurfacing of these quotes has fueled renewed scrutiny of the tension between AI leaders' public warnings and their commercial ambitions.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-19
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