What happens if humans don't intervene?

The consequences of non-intervention are discussed across various contexts in the clips featuring Dwarkesh Patel:

1. Global Conflict and War: Non-intervention can lead to conflicts escalating into larger global situations. For instance, the conflict in Ukraine can cascade into a global war involving nuclear weapons, with consequences being potentially huge and devastating 1. Supporting local fighters is crucial as demonstrated in Ukraine and contrasts with past interventions like Iraq and Afghanistan where locals did not do the bulk of the fighting 2.

2. Maintaining the Status Quo vs. Change: Not changing the status quo due to fear of the unknown can also have severe consequences. Governments maintaining their current state without intervention can work on developing more destructive weapons. There's a potential that without change, we could face catastrophic outcomes from these developments 3.

   • 

     1

     Global Conflict Warning

     00:59:58
     
   • 

     2

     Understanding Russian Decision-Making

     01:07:10
     
   • 

     3

     The Risk of Decreasing the State

     00:59:55
     
   • 

     4

     Threats to Social Infrastructure

     00:00:00
   • 

     5

     Nuclear War Speculation

     01:04:57
     
   • 

     6

     AI Coordination Challenges

     01:47:15
     

3. Social Infrastructure: A collapse or displacement of social infrastructure due to non-intervention could result in accumulated capital and resources going to waste. Ensuring the stability of social structures is crucial to protect and utilize existing resources effectively 4.

4. Nuclear War and Political Decisions: Leaders under severe pressure might resort to extreme measures like nuclear warfare if they see no other options. The absence of strategic intervention might lead to irrational and destructive decisions, impacting global stability 5.

5. AI Coordination and Risks: The failure to coordinate AI development and the competitive pressures between nations can lead to unsafe AI deployment, with potentially apocalyptic results. Intervening to slow down and regulate AI development could prevent catastrophic risks 6.

In summary, non-intervention could lead to escalated conflicts, unbridaled development of dangerous technologies, waste of resources, and irrational decisions by pressured leaders. Each context emphasizes the importance of strategic intervention to mitigate significant risks.