I think I’m pretty good at convincing people about AI dangers. This post talks about the basics of speaking convincingly about AI dangers to people.

Prerequisites

1. Learn to truly see them

In 2022, at a CFAR workshop, I was introduced to circling.

It is multi-player meditation. People sit in a circle and have a conversation, but the content of the conversation is mostly focused on the meta: what someone says or expresses causes in you, how you relate to other people, and what's going on in the circle as a group.

It is sometimes a great experience; but more importantly, it allows you to (1) pay attention to what's going on in other people and to your models of them and (2) explicitize your hypotheses, ask people what's actually going on, and be surprised by how you’re very wrong about other people! This is awesome, and quickly updates you to learn to be very attentive to other people and to see them, in a far less wrong way.

(Related: Circling as Cousin to Rationality.)

I think step 1 of talking well about AI dangers to people is to learn to try to see them, to notice where [...]

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Outline:

(00:19) Prerequisites

(00:23) 1. Learn to truly see them

(01:53) 2. Be honest

(03:34) 3. Try to understand the subject well

(05:05) How to talk in three steps

(05:12) 1. Identify what they're likely missing

(06:33) 2. Listen attentively

(08:02) 3. Say things

(08:45) Practice all of the above

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First published:
November 5th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/QoMwFosibKffC4vxA/a-guide-to-being-persuasive-about-ai-dangers

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“A Guide To Being Persuasive About AI Dangers” by Mikhail Samin

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“A Guide To Being Persuasive About AI Dangers” by Mikhail Samin