Fake Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Urges Himself to Stop on SNL

Over the weekend, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, appeared on television telling viewers: "I urge you to urge me to stop." But it wasn't the real Dario; rather, the Anthropic chief was being parodied by the US show ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL).

Dario was portrayed by cast member Jane Wickline during the Season 52 premiere of SNL. In the show's "Weekend Update" segment, Dario Amodei is invited for an interview where things go significantly off the rails, to put it mildly. Furthermore, Wickline's Dario looks identical to the Anthropic boss: we see his signature curly hair and glasses.

The segment begins with this version of Dario Amodei addressing the fact that his statements regarding AI safety were linked to his own technology. "I may have come across as alarming in my recent interviews, but I want to assure you that if we manage to pressure lawmakers into establishing safeguards, we’ll be able to stop me," the actor says.

Stammering, a split personality, and unfortunate responses

Wickline appears tense in her attempt to impersonate Dario. As the sketch progresses, that nervousness becomes evident in her speech as well. When asked to explain how Anthropic will avoid wiping out humanity, Dario Amodei stammers: "Well, well, well, well, well, well, well... that’s a really tough question." The host, Michael Che, points out that, really, it shouldn't be a tough question.

And this is where we see an unexpected twist. It turns out that Jane Wickline’s Dario Amodei has two personalities: one that seemed media-trained and another that might be a darker version of himself. As Wickline tries to find an answer, we catch a glimpse of their conversation.

The media-trained Dario says, "Come on, Dario, you can do this." The other personality—speaking in a deep, almost terrifying voice—replies, "I know."

However, this internal dialogue didn't seem to lead anywhere. Dario Amodei ends up saying, "AI is the devil, and I am its creator." That’s not exactly what one would want to hear from someone developing advanced AI.

Realising those comments weren't exactly appropriate, Dario Amodei tries again. This time, he mentions that he isn't alone and that even Sam Altman has expressed similar concerns about AI. "Look, Sam Altman, myself, and all the major players in the AI sector have talked at length about this, and we’re all on the same page," the actor says. And what page is that? Dario explains: "We don't approve of what we're doing."

Cancer will soon cease to be a problem

Later, after the host pointed out that AI companies insisted the technology "was going to cure cancer," the version of Dario Amodei played by the actor offered another interesting perspective. "Well, let's put it this way: in 10 years, there is about a 10% chance that cancer will cease to be a problem for anyone," the actor explained. This was likely a reference to Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s head of safety, who claims there is a 10% chance AI could wipe out humanity within 10 years.

When Michael Che says, "I don't like the way you're saying that, man," Dario Amodei tries to salvage the situation again. The actor asks, "If you could drink a milk that made your life easier, but there was a 10% chance it would kill you; would you drink it?" But Che replies, "No!" This apparently baffles Dario Amodei, who asks, "Really?"

Dario Amodei tries again: "What if there were a button that, if pressed, caused everyone to die? Would you press it?" Once again, the host says no, and the Anthropic CEO is left stunned. Finally, as two versions of Dario spoke simultaneously, the media-trained Dario says, "Land the plane, Dario." The other replies in the same eerie voice, "I can't." The exchange concluded when he finally answered, "AI isn't a weapon, it's a tool... a tool for making weapons. And I urge you to urge me to stop."

The entire segment drew laughter from the audience, who seemed to find the situation amusing. This scene aired at a time when the real Dario Amodei has repeatedly called for a halt to AI development. "I’m not going to lie to you, there are real dangers. The biggest risk (of AI) could be the end of humanity," Amodei stated earlier this month. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also expressed similar concerns, and his company recently paused AI development.

However, tech leaders are not the only ones calling for a slowdown; researchers working in AI have also spoken out on the matter. The debate over a potential AI-induced apocalyptic scenario intensified after Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic researcher, left the company and claimed that AI labs were "playing with our lives." Marcus Williams, an OpenAI safety researcher, has also predicted that humanity could face extinction due to AI in less than three years if the situation does not change.

At the same time, there are those who disagree—such as U.S. President Donald Trump, who has even mocked Dario Amodei in the past, accusing the Anthropic CEO of "pretending to be a perfect little angel."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kahekashan

[email protected]

Kahekashan is a passionate technophile with a keen eye for cutting-edge gadgets, emerging technologies, and everything in the digital realm. Raised in a Defence family with strong values and a background in literature, she has consistently pursued excellence in every endeavour. Her last full-time assignment involved content writing with the Indian School of Business.

Read More