Major artificial intelligence companies are leveraging "doomsday" rhetoric to push for government regulation that effectively secures their market dominance. This strategy, rooted in the utilitarian ideology of Effective Altruism, relies on speculative, long-term risk assessments to justify state intervention. The recent viral resignation of a junior Anthropic employee serves as a case study in manufactured public concern; analysis reveals a coordinated media blitz involving viewbotting and strategic promotion by organizations funded by the same industry titans. By framing AI as an existential threat, these firms aim to establish a regulatory framework that functions as a barrier to entry, effectively creating a protected duopoly. This push for safety is less about mitigating genuine technological risks and more about institutionalizing control through regulatory capture, mirroring historical tactics used by other industries to stifle competition.
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