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Some AI Researchers Are Taking up Smoking because They Believe Artificial Intelligence Will Cure Cancer

Shyam Sankar says some researchers smoke to show confidence that artificial intelligence will eventually cure cancer.

  • On Sunday, Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar claimed some AI researchers have taken up smoking to demonstrate their faith that artificial intelligence will cure cancer, though he provided no names or evidence.
  • Sankar argued that some in Silicon Valley have filled a "God-shaped hole" in their hearts with the promise of advanced AI, describing this mindset as "mass psychosis" and "social delusion."
  • While Sankar labeled this behavior a "social delusion," he acknowledged having no evidence to substantiate the claim, and smoking remains a primary cause of preventable illness with no AI breakthrough eliminating its health risks.
  • Real-World cancer research proceeds through concrete collaborations, such as the October 7 partnership between Tempus AI, Moderna, and Merck, focusing on data-driven, individualized neoantigen therapies rather than speculative predictions.
  • Accountability and measurable outcomes must define industry progress, according to Sankar, rather than bold predictions about what AI might achieve; companies should prioritize engineering safe products and strengthening national prosperity.
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Lean Left

Shyam Sankar, the head of Palantir Technologies, a leader in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), said something quite surprising a few days ago in a debate about this technology: people in the field are starting to smoke because they believe that AI will be able to cure lung cancer in the future.

Lean Right

Shya Shankar, Chief Technology Officer of the American tech company Palantir, said in an interview that researchers are smoking cigarettes thinking that AI will cure cancer in the future. But why did he say this? Let's find out.

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metafilter.com broke the news on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
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