SNL Parodies Dario Amodei and His AI Warnings

Saturday Night Live dedicated a segment of Weekend Update to a parody of Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic. The sketch echoed his public warnings about AI and sparked reactions online. Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Online Reactions and No Response from Anthropic

The parody sparked discussions on social media, both among tech industry insiders and SNL viewers. Under the video posted on YouTube, one comment mentioned "our last days in the next ten years." Another suggested that "AI will replace us all," while noting that Weekend Update would explain "why it's our fault." When contacted, Anthropic did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

A Fictional CEO Calling to Be Stopped

In the sketch, the character of Amodei states: "AI is not a weapon. It's a tool. A tool for building weapons. And I urge you to urge me to stop." He also claims that if lawmakers put safeguards in place under pressure, they can stop him. The fictional CEO goes so far as to exclaim: "AI is the devil, and I am its creator," while asserting that he and other AI leaders, including Sam Altman from OpenAI, "do not endorse what we are doing." An analogy about drinking milk that could make life easier but also kill him is used. The character talks to himself, mimicking the voices of Sméagol and Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. When Michael Che asks how the company won't kill the public, he responds: "That's a really tough question." The sketch highlights concerns about unchecked AI.

Echoing Dario Amodei's Public Stances

The segment references real statements made by Dario Amodei. In a recent interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN, he refused to assert that AI would not destroy humanity. In his essay "We Must Pace the Frontier," he called on tech companies, including Anthropic, to slow down AI development. The sketch aired on Weekend Update and was performed by Jane Wickline, who portrayed the CEO of Anthropic.