Effective accelerationism, often abbreviated as "e/acc", is a 21st-century philosophical movement that explicitly espouses a pro-technology stance. Its proponents believe that artificial intelligence-driven progress is a great social equalizer which should be pushed forward. Adherents see themselves as a counterweight to the cautious view that AI is highly unpredictable and needs to be regulated, often giving their opponents the derogatory labels of "doomers" or "decels" (short for deceleration).[1]

Central to effective accelerationism is the belief that propelling technological progress at all costs is the only ethically justifiable course of action. The movement carries utopian undertones and argues that humans need to develop and to build faster to ensure their survival and propagate consciousness throughout the universe.[2][3]

Originally considered a fringe movement, effective accelerationism gained mainstream visibility in 2023.[4] A number of high-profile Silicon Valley figures, including investors Marc Andreessen and Garry Tan, explicitly endorsed the movement by adding "e/acc" to their public social media profiles.[4] Sam Altman, Yann LeCun, Andrew Ng and Martin Shkreli are seen as further supporters, as they have argued for less restrictive regulation.[1][5][6]

History

Name

The name is a play on combining "effective altruism", also a 21st-century philosophical movement associated with the technology industry, and "accelerationalism", a philosophical stance and movement that calls for destabilizing change to bring about new social order.[1]

Intellectual origin

While the precise origin of effective accelerationism remains unclear, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (the founder of the Futurist movement), Nick Land, and two pseudonymous individuals known by the X (formerly Twitter) usernames @BasedBeffJezos and @bayeslord are sometimes named as its intellectual precursors.[3] Land is also seen as the intellectual originator of the broader accelerationism movement.[4][3]

In what has been described by the individual as a "doxxing" event, Forbes disclosed that the @BasedBeffJezos persona is maintained by Guillaume Verdon, a Canadian former Google quantum computing engineer and theoretical physicist. The revelation was supported by a voice analysis by the National Center for Media Forensics, which further confirmed the match between Jezos and Verdon. The magazine has justified their decision to disclose Verdon's identity on the grounds of it being "in the public interest".[7]

Relation to other movements

Traditional accelerationism

In contrast to Marxist–Deleuzian classical accelerationism, as defined by the work of Nick Land, effective accelerationism specifically emphasizes the maximization of the probability of the technocapital singularity, setting off an intelligence explosion leading to the subsequent flourishing of emergent consciousness.[4] The movement advocates for the unrestricted development and deployment of AI to unlock its full potential, as it views intelligence as a driving force for societal progress.[8]

While traditional accelerationism as a broader philosophical movement calls for destabilizing change to bring about a new social order, the movement is characterized by the self-awareness of capitalism and the perception that technology and market forces are accelerating in their power and abilities.[9][10] This perspective is rooted in the belief that free markets are the most effective way to support technological growth.[11]

Effective altruism

Effective accelerationism diverges from the principles of effective altruism, which emphasizes using evidence and reasoning to determine the most effective ways to improve the world, often through charitable actions. In contrast, effective accelerationism prioritizes the transformative potential of technology and capitalism as a means to achieve societal change.[12][13]

Accelerationists argue that those who advocate for regulatory measures and safeguards in technological development are no better than murderers. This arises from their belief that such precautions hinder the progress that could potentially bring about life-saving artificial intelligence.[11][2]

Degrowth

Similarly, the movement contrasts with the ideology of degrowth, sometimes described as "decelerationism", which advocates for reducing economic activity and consumption to address ecological and social issues. Effective accelerationism embraces technological progress and the dynamics of capitalism as catalysts for change, rather than advocating for a reduction in economic growth.[12]

Reception

Acclaim

The "Techno-Optimist Manifesto",[11] a 2023 essay by Marc Andreessen, has been described as espousing the views of effective accelerationism.[3]

Criticism

David Swan of the The Sydney Morning Herald has criticized effective accelerationism due to its opposition to government and industry (self-)regulation. He argues that "innovations like AI needs thoughtful regulations and guardrails [...] to avoid the myriad mistakes Silicon Valley has already made".[14]

In her 2023 essay "Effective obfuscation", Molly White critiques the movement, suggesting it merely provides a superficial philosophical cover for the industry's traditional motives and behaviors. She further argues that a tech industry "led by a bunch of techno-utopianists and those who think they can reduce everything to markets and equations" has already been attempted, primarily serving as a tool for the wealthy to retroactively justify their choices rather than influencing meaningful decision-making. White advocates for recognizing and valuing "the expertise of those who have been working to improve technology for the better of all rather than just for themselves and the few just like them".[2]

During the 2023 Reagan National Defense Forum, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo cautioned against embracing the "move fast and break things" mentality associated with "effective acceleration [sic]". She emphasized the need to exercise caution in dealing with AI, stating "that's too dangerous. You can't break things when you are talking about AI".[15]

See also

  • Jezos, Beff; Bayeslord (10 July 2022). "Notes on e/acc principles and tenets". Beff's Newsletter. Substack.

References

  1. 1 2 3 MacColl, Margaux (7 October 2023). "It's a Cult': Inside Effective Accelerationism, the Pro-AI Movement Taking Over Silicon Valley". The Information. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 White, Molly (26 November 2023). "Effective obfuscation". Citation Needed. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023 – via Substack.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hurtz, Simon (10 November 2023). "Tech-Szene im Silicon Valley: Ihr Gott ist die KI". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Chowdhury, Hasan (28 July 2023). "Get the lowdown on 'e/acc' — Silicon Valley's favorite obscure theory about progress at all costs, which has been embraced by Marc Andreessen". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Sam Altman drama points to a deeper split in the tech world". The Economist. 19 November 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "With Sam Altman's return, a shift in AI from idealism to pragmatism". The Economist. 23 November 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Baker-White, Emily. "Who Is @BasedBeffJezos, The Leader Of The Tech Elite's 'E/Acc' Movement?". Forbes. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Jones, Rachyl (16 October 2023). "Marc Andreessen just dropped a 'Techno-Optimist Manifesto' that sees a world of 50 billion people settling other planets". Fortune. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  9. ↑ Chistyakov, Denis I. (30 September 2022). "Philosophy of Accelerationism: A New Way of Comprehending the Present Social Reality (in Nick Land's Context)". RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 26 (3): 687–696. doi:10.22363/2313-2302-2022-26-3-687-696. ISSN 2408-8900.
  10. ↑ Noys, Benjamin (14 December 2013). "Days of phuture past: accelerationism in the present moment". Accelerationism – A Symposium on Tendencies in Capitalism. Berlin. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Andreessen, Marc (16 October 2023). "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto". Andreessen Horowitz. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 Wilhelm, Alex (20 November 2023). "Effective accelerationism, doomers, decels, and how to flaunt your AI priors". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Leroy, Thomas (23 November 2023). "Effective altruism, effective accelerationism: quels sont ces deux courants qui divisent le monde de l'IA ?". BFM TV (in French). Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  14. ↑ Swan, David (29 October 2023). "'We are conquerors': Why Silicon Valley's latest fad is its deadliest". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  15. ↑ Reagan National Defense Forum. Simi Valley: Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute. 2 December 2023. Event occurs at 21:03 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
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