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The SL4 message “Re: Threats (was Theoretical question for the list: publicity?)” (2001-04-08) contests Y17. Answering a hypothetical about an AI project forced underground by public hostility, he says relinquishment would not hold indefinitely but would be a substantial obstacle while hardware remains expensive. Copy claim link
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Supporting evidence: primary · 1 source
Date 2001-04-08 · publication Role Contesting Register (kind of text) Nonfiction Engagement Engages a premise. Under the message-level rule, the passage, read with the paragraph, message or dialogue turn it belongs to, gives a reason against the premise that law can prevent the danger (the part he states himself, as an enforced worldwide halt). Scope and limits Premise addressed: Law can prevent the danger (the part he states himself, as an enforced worldwide halt). Framed by him as 'an entirely theoretical question involving some *other* AI project'. A concession about the effect of relinquishment, not an endorsement of law as the solution. Framed as "an entirely theoretical question involving some *other* AI project", after a joking aside; his verdict is mixed. Quotation shortened to respect the ~10% cap for a short message.
The evidence 01 primary source Supports the claim
Re: Threats (was Theoretical question for the list: publicity?) (SL4 mailing list) ↗ SL4 mailing list · 2001-04-08
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Source excerpt "relinquishment" wouldn't work forever, but it wouldn't be a trivial obstacle either.” Location in source message body, paragraph beginning 'If you were to ask me this as an entirely theoretical question'
Machine-checked · 2026-10-07
Source details and check notes Authors Eliezer Yudkowsky Version Archive HTML as served, retrieved 2026-10-07 (SHA-256 06d2f3d883e7999633e96ea415818c92c701819c3ab91d1f591fe6b6ff457f86); quoted lines excluded when reading the author’s text. The served archive shows later URL rewriting and does not authenticate historical bytes. Archive at sl4.org. Canonical address Open the canonical source ↗ Accessed 2026-10-07 Language English (en) Attribution Eliezer Yudkowsky, “Re: Threats (was Theoretical question for the list: publicity?)”, SL4 mailing list, 2001-04-08. Reuse No open redistribution licence asserted. Bibliographic metadata, editorial paraphrases and short attributed quotations (at most 50 words each). Recheck terms before wider redistribution. Check notes Candidate pack passage T17-s2. The quotation (12 words) matched the retrieved expression (SHA-256 06d2f3d883e7999633e96ea415818c92c701819c3ab91d1f591fe6b6ff457f86) when checked on 2026-10-07. Status and meaning Editorial status. Not reviewed by an editor . An exploratory record that no editor has accepted. This status does not say whether a person has read any linked passage. Each evidence record above shows how it was checked.
Relation. A passage of the document disputes the proposition or a premise it depends on. The record documents the text’s position, not who is right.
Date. Archive author index lists the message as "Sun Apr 08 2001 - 09:50:57 MDT" under "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky".
Record ID yk-y17-sl4-2001-04-08-yudkowsky-0104-1019-c