Roko's basilisk

Roko's basilisk is a thought experiment which states that there could be an artificial superintelligence in the future that, while otherwise benevolent, would punish anyone who knew of its potential existence but did not directly contribute to its advancement or development, in order to incentivize that advancement. It originated in a 2010 post at discussion board LessWrong, a rationalist community web forum. The thought experiment's name derives from the poster of the article (Roko) and the basilisk, a mythical creature capable of destroying enemies with its stare.

LessWrong co-founder Eliezer Yudkowsky considered it a potential information hazard, and banned discussion of the basilisk on the site for five years. Reports of panicked users were later dismissed as exaggerations or inconsequential, and the theory itself was criticized. It is used as an example of principles such as Bayesian probability and implicit religion. It is also regarded as a version of Pascal's wager.

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