Tim Urban of Wait But Why

Urban says Wait But Why lets him learn, create, and follow his curiosity while enjoying his work. As the blog grew, he saw that its posts could influence capable people to work on important problems, including AI.

Urban compares human history to a 500-page book: most of it passed slowly, while the Industrial Revolution and modern technology transformed the final page. He argues that people alive now may be approaching a major turning point, with AI as a powerful technology that people in tech are helping shape.

Urban argues that social norms and incentives shape behavior more effectively than asking people to become fundamentally different. If AI safety became prestigious, he says, more talent might turn toward it, much as recognition can draw people to other fields.

Urban aims to reach a working understanding across many subjects rather than expert depth in just a few. For a research-heavy post, he gathers sources and opposing views, records facts and ideas, follows unanswered questions, and then organizes the material into an explanation for readers.

Urban says confirmation bias can lead people to build persuasive arguments for beliefs they already hold. He recommends reading across viewpoints and hearing people who disagree. He also points to crypto, VR and AR, genetic technologies, brain-machine interfaces, and spaceflight as areas worth understanding, while encouraging people with different skills to contribute.