# Reid Hoffman dismisses AI doomers

> LinkedIn founder argues AI risks are overblown and frontier research should continue despite calls for slowdown.
- Title: Reid Hoffman dismisses AI doomers · Business Insider
- Summary: LinkedIn founder argues AI risks are overblown and frontier research should continue despite calls for slowdown. Hoffman believes AI safety concerns are…
- Keywords: reid hoffman, ai safety, frontier ai research, anthropic, openai, recursive self-improvement, dario amodei, sam altman, elon musk, mark zuckerberg, ai regulation, ai slowdown
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/reid-hoffman-ai-cassandra-doom-risk-steering-rsi-2026-9
- Author: Brent D. Griffiths
- Published: 2026-09-16T19:36:16.289+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: reid hoffman, ai safety, frontier ai research, anthropic, openai, recursive self-improvement, dario amodei, sam altman, elon musk, mark zuckerberg, ai regulation, ai slowdown
## Hoffman rejects AI apocalypse talk
The LinkedIn cofounder dismissed concerns about AI causing human extinction as remote and controllable, comparing doomers to Cassandra from Greek mythology.

> Look at me, I'm Cassandra, I'm saying it's the end of time
## Frontier AI research has real benefits
Hoffman argues that continuing advanced AI development helps address biosecurity and cybersecurity risks while creating economic prosperity.

> I don't think that slowing down is important, because when you get to the defense against biorisk, the defense against cyber risk, and creating economic prosperity is a reason, I think, to keep going
## Hypocrisy in calling for slowdown
Hoffman questions why Anthropic and OpenAI leaders now want to slow frontier AI research when both companies are leading the world.

> You're in the lead, you can slow down anytime you like
## Recursive self-improvement needs management
Hoffman stresses that frontier labs must properly manage recursive self-improvement, where AI learns to build itself and its successors.
## Amodei and Altman take right steps
Hoffman endorsed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's calls to pace development and improve AI alignment.
## Zuckerberg prefers individual responsibility
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rejected industry-wide pacts, saying each lab should move at its own safe pace. Meta delayed its Muse AI agent for safety improvements.

> Every lab has the responsibility and incentive to move at the pace required to train its models safely
## Key takeaway

Hoffman believes AI safety concerns are exaggerated and that continued frontier research is necessary for defense against biosecurity and cyber threats.