Larry Ellison’s Media Ambitions & Kevin Roose on AI’s Biggest Gamble

Larry Ellison’s recent acquisition of a media empire, including Skydance and a significant stake in TikTok, stems less from a calculated political grand plan than from a complex mix of personal interests and financial support for his son, David. While Ellison’s proximity to figures like Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu warrants scrutiny, his media ventures lack a unified ideological project. Meanwhile, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has shifted from fringe existential risk theories among Bay Area researchers to a central global debate. Despite the current lack of meaningful regulation and the potential for recursive self-improvement to outpace human control, a narrow path toward responsible development remains possible. The recent surge in public concern regarding AI’s societal impact may finally force the industry to move beyond self-regulation and address the genuine dangers posed by autonomous systems.